York has the highest number of bike thefts in North Yorkshire – and more offences than cycling hotspot Cambridge City Centre, figures show.

Last year (2023) York had a total volume of 925 bike thefts – 422 higher than Cambridge City Centre which is said to have the highest level of cycling in the UK.

The data has been revealed by a Freedom of Information request submitted by Evolve e-Bikes to every police force in the UK.

York Cycle Campaign committee member Leah Bennett said the fear of bike thefts can deter people from cycling but the group is working with police to help tackle the issue.

North Yorkshire Police urged cyclists in York to keep their bikes securely locked when not in use.

Ms Bennett told The Press the York Cycle Campaign has 300 members and around 20 have had issues with bike thefts.

She explained how thieves may be attracted to York as it has a higher number of expensive bikes – particularly electric cycles.

She added that the group has been working with North Yorkshire Police and the British Transport Police to tackle the rise in bike thefts.

The York Cycle Campaign also holds bike marking events across the city where cyclists can have their bike marked – registering it with the police to deter thieves – and learn how to lock up their cycles.

But Ms Bennett added that a lack of resources is likely to affect how the police are likely to deal with bike thefts.  

“I think the police do a lot. It’s more about getting enough police officers on the beat,” she said.

“That’s why we want to work with them. But if we have more police that would probably help.

“If we all work together we can tackle this. We want people to cycle more and not feel they can park their bike somewhere and it will be stolen.”

Police urge cyclists to lock up bikes properly

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson told The Press: “We are aware of the high number of cycle thefts in the city.

“York has a high volume of cyclists and unfortunately that results in a higher number of thefts, particularly when compared to neighbouring areas where cycling is not as popular.

“We actively encourage cyclists to fit robust security measures to their bikes including good quality locks, particularly when some cycles cost thousands of pounds.

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“It’s really easy to steal a poorly secured cycle and in many cases, some of the stolen cycles have not been secured at all.

“You should use at least two good quality locks, preferably two different types, and one of them should be a D-lock.

“We also recover a lot of suspected stolen bikes and some are never reunited with their rightful owners.

“By registering your bike on a recognised database you stand a better chance of getting it back if it does get stolen.”