CYCLE crime in York has been cut by more than half – but police have vowed not to ease up on dealing with the city’s bike thieves.

New figures have revealed 317 fewer bikes were stolen in the city between June and September compared with the same period last year after a string of measures were brought into tackle the problem.

The four-month spell this year saw 282 cycle thefts, a huge drop from the 599 taken during those months in 2010, and police in York have described it as a “significant” success.

Last summer, The Press reported how crisis talks had been held between the council, police and the Safer York Partnership as a rundown of the cycle-theft situation showed five bikes were being stolen every day. At the time, Cycling City York manager Graham Titchener admitted the problem had left them “perplexed”.

The spate of thefts led to initiatives such as Operation Spoke, which allows cyclists to have their bikes tagged so they can be more easily traced if they are stolen, being launched, and more than 10,000 people have since used the scheme.

The Red Hand campaign, which saw tracker systems being secretly attached to bikes which are randomly displayed at York’s cycle racks so thieves can be quickly caught, was also introduced in the city’s hotspots for cycle crime. Cyclists in York also now have a dedicated cycle hub station next to Lendal Bridge, which offers secure parking for cyclists.

Inspector Mark Henderson said: “There has been a significant reduction in cycle theft across the whole of the city, with the city centre seeing a 50 per cent drop.

“We will continue to work with our partners to keep our focus on further reducing the level of cycle crime.”

Coun Sandy Fraser, cabinet member for community safety at City of York Council, said he was delighted with such a significant reduction in cycle theft and asked cyclists to be security conscious at all times.