How do we solve a problem like cycle theft?

Nobody knows for certain how many bicycles are stolen each year in the UK. A figure of 70,000 is banded about, but estimates vary wildly and it's accepted the vast majority go unreported. Worse still, nobody seems to know how to reduce bike theft.

The problem has been made worse by the advent of the cordless angle grinder - a tool that's made a thief's job quick and easy - and police who take very little interest in the crime. It's little consolation to us here in the UK to learn that Dutch cyclists feel their own police gives no priority to bicycle theft.

It's thought 80 per cent of all UK bike thefts occur in London - a figure estimated to be 20,000 a year, although the true number could be four or even five times that.

A new generation of supposedly angle grinder-resistant lock doesn't stop thieves cutting through whatever the bike's secured to. Bike registration schemes sound like a good idea, but the benefits are slim - after all, cars are identifiable by their registration plate, VIN number, serial numbers and the ECU and yet only about one in four stolen cars is reunited with its owner.

Quite apart from the fact that bike registration marks can be removed by thieves, these schemes assume stolen bikes remain within our borders. According to research in The Netherlands bicycle theft is increasingly committed by organised gangs who often export them.

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Stolen bike hunters

As e-bikes become increasingly popular, these higher value items are attracting a different type of criminal but also a new generation of high-tech deterrent against theft.

GPS technology offers a glimmer of hope in the fight against bike crime - especially when forward-thinking bike manufacturers see theft prevention as a valuable marketing tool. For example, if you live in London, Bristol or Edinburgh and buy a Van Moof e-bike, you're eligible for the company's 'peace of mind' initiative. In return for a one-off payment, subscribers get three years' worth of maintenance costs as well as theft cover with a difference.

If a bike is stolen, the company sends its bike hunters to track its GPS signal. Basically, they're doing the police's job for them. And if they're unable to locate and recover the e-bike within two weeks, it's replaced with the same model.

Cycle insurance

Here at the ETA, we can't claim to have a team of bike hunters, but we can take the worry out of bike ownership. If your bike is stolen, we've got an online claims system that allows you to log the theft at any time of the day or night. And our in-house claims team ensures you won't be passed from pillar to post - just one of the reasons we were named Claims Team of the Year 2022.

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The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.