BICYCLE thefts have jumped more than 60 per cent in a year, The Argus can reveal.

In August, 135 bike thefts in Brighton and Hove were reported to Sussex Police.

In August last year, crime map data reveals there were 82 bike thefts in Brighton and Hove, meaning the figure has risen 64.6 per cent.

Inspector Brian McCarthy of Sussex Police said that of those reported thefts, 45 remain under investigation with further lines of enquiry.

He said: “We have had a number of bike marking events across the city in the last month and we urge those with bikes to always lock them in a secure location and to mark and register them with Immobilise.”

Sussex Police was criticised last month after officers refused to review CCTV footage from cameras pointed at a bike which was stolen overnight.

The force said the 11-hour duration of the footage would not constitute good use of officer time.

It also refused to allow the victim access to review the footage himself.

Insp McCarthy said: “Two people have been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods in connection with a large amount of bikes at a property in Hove which may have been stolen.

“A 43-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman remain under investigation.”

While August’s figures were released to The Argus by Sussex Police, July 2017 figures have not yet been published on the crime map website.

The latest figures are from June, when 101 bike thefts were reported.

Compared with June 2016’s 58 thefts, that is a 74 per cent increase and suggests a spike this summer in the type of crime.

The police website for bike safety information is sussex.police.uk/ advice/protect-your- home-and-belongings/cycle-theft.