Increase in burglaries sparks bike insurance concerns

Cyclists in London may want to consider taking out bike insurance following a surge in burglaries in the city.

Courts are charging people with burglary and then releasing them on bail, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, explained that this puts ordinary citizens at risk as criminals who return to public life have "nothing to lose" and often revert back to their old ways.

He said: "It is clear to me that when a burglar is caught and charged and knows he is going to go to prison because of previous convictions there is not a lot to lose between charge and conviction.

"That is when we see significant activity by people accused of burglary because there is nothing to lose if they know they are going to go down."

Statistics published by the Metropolitan Police show that that household burglaries increased by 9.8 per cent between April and September 2009.

In addition, an increasing number of regions have reported rises in bike theft.

Do I need cycle insurance?

The short answer is yes. Bikes are vulnerable to theft and in the case of an accident you may need to seek compensation or even deal with a claim by someone else. Cycle insurance from the ETA includes 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 quickly compare prices.