More than 80,000 bicycles were stolen in London last year, but only five per cent of those bikes made it back to their owners.

The Immobilise Register enables the police to identify bicycle owners

To help tackle the problem, Transport for London has teamed up with the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police to include the registration of bicycles on the Immobilise Register, a register that has demonstrated success in tackling mobile phone crime in the last year.

This register is a system that allows the UK police to identify the owner of any registered item of property.

In addition, the public can 'flag' any registered item as lost or stolen and this then appears on any police search.

There are three simple steps to this free service

  • Register: Register bicycle model, make and frame number
  • Report: Report it if lost or stolen, both to the police and the register
  • Reunite: Registering and then reporting these details helps the police match the bike's description, if found, and return it to you

This development was launched by Jenny Jones, Member of the London Assembly Member and the Metropolitan Police Authority, at the Cycle Show today (13 October).

Ms Jones said: "London has been very successful in increasing the number of cyclists, but if we don't make cycle theft more difficult then many people will be put off using their bikes.

"This initiative is about making life harder for criminals and much easier for cyclists."

Cycling renaissance

Peter Hendy, Managing Director Surface Transport at TfL, said: "For many cyclists their bike is their pride and joy, and having it stolen is a horrible experience.

"This is compounded by so few bikes ever making it back to their owners.

"By registering their bicycles, owners have a fighting chance of getting them back."

To help take the risk out of buying second-hand bicycles, cyclists and traders will be able to check if the bike they intend to buy has been registered as lost or stolen on this database by visiting www.checkmend.org.

London is leading a cycling renaissance, with more than 300,000 cycle trips every day.

However, security is one of the biggest barriers to encouraging people to cycle in London.

TfL, along with the London boroughs, has installed 10,000 secure on-street cycle parking spaces and 5,000 spaces at schools and colleges, with thousands more to come.

Detective Superintendent Martin Stevens of the Metropolitan Police said: "The Metropolitan Police fully supports the new database and hopes that the benefits of having a single system of identification for bicycles in London has the same operational benefits as is the case with mobile phones."

TfL offers a number of tips to help prevent cycles being stolen:

  • Make sure the lock you buy is a good one and consider buying two. Expect to pay about 20 per cent of the value of your bicycle on a lock.
  • Lock it or lose it. On a day to day basis you can minimise the risk of theft by:
    - Parking your bike in a public space where everyone can see it - people will also see if someone is trying to steal it
  • Locking your frame and both wheels to an immovable object. If the lock only goes through the wheel a thief may steal the bike and leave the wheel behind.

For more tips visit www.tfl.gov.uk/cycling

  • There are 1.4 million bicycles owned in Greater London
  • More than 300,000 cycle trips are made in London every day
  • The Cycle Show is at the Excel Centre from 14-16 October
  • www.immobilise.com was initially established for the registration of mobile phones. Its success in reducing mobile phone crime has spurred its expansion to include the registration of bicycles and other property
  • The registration of bicycles on this register is fully endorsed by the Metropolitan and City of London Police, Association of Cycle Traders, Bicycle Association, and London Cycle Campaign