Police to hold bike-marking event on Bournville

Police will be marking bikes in the Bournville on Wednesday. Picture: Avon and Somerset Constabulary (Image: Archant)

The event, run by Avon and Somerset Constabulary, takes place at the Healthy Living Centre, in Lonsdale Avenue, between 10am and 4pm.

Officers will be on hand to help bicycle owners register their bikes on the BikeRegister database and discreetly security-mark their bikes.

The BikeRegister database is used by police forces throughout the UK and allows officers to quickly and easily identify the original owner of any stolen or recovered bicycles.

Attendees who have their bike marked will also be given an exclusive discount voucher to purchase an approved D-lock.

Bicycle thefts account for two per cent of all recorded crime across England and Wales, and 50 per cent of all bicycle owners have had a bike stolen.

Avon and Somerset Police first started the bike-marking security scheme last year and have so far marked more than 4,000 bikes.

Since the start of the BikeRegister scheme, a number of bikes have been returned to their original owners.

The bike-marking events are being supported by Operation Remedy as just one of a number of proactive initiatives being rolled out across Avon and Somerset to tackle residential burglary.

Detective Inspector Martyn Cannon of Operation Remedy and Force Lead for burglary said: "We take burglary very seriously and are continuing to work hard to reduce the number of burglaries across Avon and Somerset.

"We know bicycles are one of the most commonly stolen items and these events are a fantastic opportunity for local residents to go along and hear from officers about the latest burglary prevention advice whilst having their bikes marked and registered online for free.

"Bike marking not only acts as an excellent deterrent against thieves but also makes it much easier for police officers to identify the original owners and return their stolen bicycles."