British Transport Police accused of ‘decriminalising’ bike theft in London – London Business News | London Wallet

The British Transport Police (BTP) has said it will not investigate bike thefts outside stations where the bicycle has been left for more than two hours, in an effort to conserve police resources.

Critics of the move have labelled bike theft as “decriminalised”, with thieves now facing less scrutiny from police.

The London Bike Theft Report from London Criminal Solicitors Lawtons urges bike owners to take preventative measures to safeguard their property against theft.

According to the report, the most common time of day for a bike to be stolen is during the afternoon, with 29% of thefts happening at this time, followed by the night (27%).

Bikes are much safer when stored in private sheds or storage units, however, this does not make them exempt from theft. 40% of bicycle thefts in the latest period were taken from ‘semi-private’ premises, which include the outside areas of people’s homes, as well as garages or car parks around but not connected to the home.

5% of households think bicycle theft is just ‘something that happens,’ but there are measures you can take to reduce the chance of it happening to you.

• Use a lock. Less than half of the people who had a bicycle stolen in FY2024 said their bike was locked at the time of the crime, with many believing that it was a safe area, so a lock wouldn’t be necessary.
• If possible, store your bike indoors or in a shed or garage.
• Register your bicycle with BikeRegister. While registering your bicycle won’t prevent it from being stolen, it increases your chances of being reunited with your bicycle in the event of a theft.
• Security mark your bicycle. This acts as a visible deterrent to bicycle thieves, as they know the owner of the marked bicycle can be traced, and they risk arrest.

Hackney is the borough where bike crime is the highest, with 1,363 bike thefts in the year ending April 2025. This equates to 4.8 thefts per 1,000 population, almost triple the London average of 1.7 per 1,000.

The boroughs with the worst bike crime rates (thefts per 1,000 population):

1. Hackney – 4.8
2. Camden – 3.9
3. Westminster – 3.9
4. Islington – 3.9
5. Tower Hamlets – 3.7

Stephen Halloran, Criminal Solicitor and Managing Partner at Lawtons Solicitors, said, “The recent announcement from British Transport Police marks a blow to bike theft victims and bike owners, who now face even slimmer chances of seeing their property returned and justice done.

“Unless bike theft victims are able to provide a two-hour window for an investigator to check CCTV, thefts will not be investigated.

“There is a widespread issue concerning bike theft in the UK, and despite improvements in bike crime rates, they continue to be heavily targeted by thieves.

“Suspects aren’t being identified because there’s usually no relationship between themselves and the victim, and it’s a low-priority crime for the police to pursue – now more so than ever. Beyond this, most owners often don’t document the ownership of their bikes, making it difficult to prosecute even if the perpetrator is caught.

“It’s important that you register your bike to help you recover it if it’s stolen. Hold on to your receipt, make a record of the serial number and register your bike with a bicycle marking and registration scheme. The combination of marking and registering your bike acts as a deterrent to thieves and a way for the police to trace your bike back to you if it is stolen and recovered.”