Using a bike to get around over summer? Get it protected.

Property marking is one of many ways that residents can help the police in reducing bicycle theft.

Chiltern and South Bucks District Councils are encouraging residents to be more conscious of how secure their bikes are and if they haven’t already, get them marked to reduce the risk of theft. Whilst some bicycles are returned to their owners, most are never seen again because they have no markings on them.

Bike marking is a simple solution to this problem and means that the police are more likely to identify the bike and return it to the owner: a simple sticker with your postcode on, stuck to the inside of your bike frame, will inform the police of ownership.

You can apply for your free sticker by contacting the Community Safety Team on 01494 586535 or emailing communitysafety [Email address: communitysafety #AT# chiltern.gov.uk - replace #AT# with @ ]

Other ways of securing bikes are:

• Keep your bike in a locked garage or shed, as more than half of bike thefts take place on the victims’ properties
• Always lock your bike when you are leaving it, use a strong lock and secure it to a bike rack where possible; as thieves can lift bikes over signposts especially if the lock is loose
• When you lock up your bike make sure it is in an open space where it can be seen
• There are other ways to identify your bike, such as recording and registering it on www.immobilise.com or investing in an electronic tagging system

If you need more information please contact the Community Safety Team (details above) or attend the Thames Valley Police ‘Have your say’ meetings’, details of which are on the Thames Valley Police website (www.thamesvalley.police.uk/)