POLICE have issued a warning about bike thefts.

Brighton and Hove Police said while they may never eradicate all bike thefts from the city, there are ways to deter thieves.

These include double-locking the bicycle to slow thieves down, registering the bike's frame number to enable the bike to be traced back to you, marking it as a visible deterrent and taking the removable parts with you.

“Whether your bike is a top-of-the-range carbon-fibre racing machine or a vintage hand-me-down with many a story to tell, chances are, it is important and invaluable to you,” a police spokesman said.

“Unfortunately bike theft is very real and there are many determined thieves out there who won’t think twice about stealing your pride and joy.

“Whilst we may never eradicate bike theft, there are things you can do to deter and make it more difficult for thieves. 

“If your bike is stolen, please report it to us on 101 or via our website.

“If you believe you have witnessed a bike theft, please also report to us – remember the public are our eyes and ears, we can’t be everywhere, and any information received from you helps us to build a picture and may well be that missing puzzle piece.”

In 2021, fewer than one percent of bicycle thieves were caught in Brighton and Hove.

An FOI put in by The Argus revealed that only two people were charged despite 929 bicycle thefts in the city between January 1 and November 30, last year.

Out of 624 bicycles stolen in Brighton, 594 investigations were completed with no suspect identified.

While in Hove, 295 bike thefts had no identifiable suspect out of the 305 stolen.

The reasons for the remaining figures were reasons such as evidential difficulties or "not applicable".

One theft resulted in a "community resolution" which often means the person has admitted the theft, or the victim does not want formal action taken.

Out of the total, two people were charged.