Cyclists are being urged to ‘lock it or lose it’ after more than £1.8 million worth of bikes were stolen last year.
Lancashire Police are urging cyclists to keep their bikes safe after revealing that 142 bicycles were reported stolen within Hyndburn in 12 months.
Sergeant Dave Sherrington said: “In 2015, 3,852 bicycles were reported stolen across Lancashire with a value of £1,813,511. This is only the thefts which were reported to police – we actually believe there are more thefts which remain unreported.
“It appears that the recent rise in the purchase of expensive high-tech bikes is fuelling the thefts – the most expensive bike stolen last year was worth over £10,000.
“We think that many of these thefts could have been prevented if owners had locked their bike up securely. Please prevent yourself from becoming a victim of bike theft by following some simple security measures. Don’t make it easy for thieves.”
Police are also launching a campaign, which will see officers carrying out bike coding and handing out postcards with advice on how to prevent bicycles being stolen.
