Boris urged to back use of 'bait bicycles' to snare thieves

London Mayor Boris Johnson was asked today to back the use of "bait bicycles" to snare persistent thieves.

Campaigners said the electronically-tagged decoy bicycles were proving an excellent tactic for flushing out gangs who target valuable vehicles.

Valerie Shawcross, a member of the London Assembly, said the mayor must take action to tackle the "massive volume" of cycle theft in the capital.

She said the gadgets have already been used by local officers around London Bridge station, in Southwark.

Decoy bicycles contain tracking equipment which enables police to find them and catch thieves red-handed.

Cycle theft in central London is soaring, with police recording an extra 182 thefts in Westminster in the four months to August, an increase of 75%.

Figures for the financial year 2008/09 showed 18,218 cycles were stolen, a 1,036 rise on the previous year.

Police believe one of the factors behind the surge is the increasing popularity of cycling to work and a growing market for stolen bicycles.

Mrs Shawcross called for decoy bicycles to be used across London in a written question submitted to Mr Johnson ahead of a meeting on Wednesday.

She said: "The likelihood of having a smart-looking bike stolen is one of the reasons why many people don't cycle when they could.

"We need a pincer movement to deal with this - many more secure cycle parking places, especially in workplaces and shopping centres - but also for the police to make a real impact of professional bike thieves by making detection and prosecution far more likely.

"I am really delighted that Southwark Police are using some imagination, skill and technology to tackle the cycle theft pests in London."

Police recommend bicycle owners use more than one strong lock and avoid cheaper products to beat thieves.

Detachable parts such as saddles and wheels should be removed and frames attached to sturdy objects in busy streets with CCTV cameras.

Mr Johnson, a keen cyclist, had his bicycle security marked at the launch of an anti-burglary scheme last month and admitted to losing seven in a decade.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson joked he would have to add the mayor's bicycle security to his daily morning briefing.