Bike theft victim launches petition

A national petition has been launched to crack down on bike theft in Britain.

Bike theft victim Magdalen Jagriis is fighting to put a stop to stolen bicycles being sold on auction websites.

She has launched an online petition in a bid to persuade such websites to display a bike’s serial number in adverts so that police can check whether the model is stolen.

"If you were one of the unlucky victims, you know how sickening it is to return to the place you thought you’d safely left your bike – only to find that some thief has broken the lock and stolen it. Don’t let the internet be a place for criminals to make money. Help us cyclists protect the bikes we love.”

Online aucitons and stolen bicycles

It’s the first place that you look if you have your bicycle stolen – if you are lucky a trawl of sites such as eBay and Gumtree may turn up your bike, but even if it does there is no guarantee that the police will take an interest. Bicycles are easy to steal and easy for thieves to sell on – it’s the reason that an estimated 500,000 bikes are stolen each year in Britain.

It is generally accepted that cyclists should aim to spend 10 per cent of a bike’s value on a stout lock , but there is no substitute for insurance.

The most comprehensive cycle insurance policies include new-for-old replacement, third party insurance, personal accident cover and if you breakdown, they will even come out and recover you and your bike.

Use the table below to compare prices.