Residents of Nether Edge, Sheffield have reported an increase of bicycle thefts in the area; correlating with the increase in cycle ownership over the last year.
Charity worker David Green, 58, had three bikes stolen on Monday night from his home on Edgehill Road, one of which was an electric bike for his wife who has a health condition.
The burglars broke into Mr Green’s homemade and secure bike-shed by damaging his high-end padlock. They then prised open cupboard doors in the shed before making off with the bikes – abandoning one down the road.
Mr Green said it was ‘gutting’. He added: “We’ve had bikes stolen in the past and so have our neighbours. There have been a lot of bike thefts in this area, in the last year.
“You start looking at bikes for sale online and thinking, ‘how many of these are legit?’
“Demand for bikes has increased massively. These people really should go into business they’re quite savvy and quite astute. They’d do well in a more legit trade because they know the market.”
Mr Green describes himself as a “keen cyclist” and said the loss of his bikes is “gutting”.
Mr Green, a former teacher also said that the police gave “no response whatsoever” due to other crimes being of a higher priority.
With bikes becoming incredibly popular during lockdown and around Christmas, insurance-provider Admiral have said that they saw a 46% increase in the number of bicycle theft claims in 2020 compared to 2019. In light of this, bicycles have become the most popular high-value item added to their home insurance policies in 2021.
Additionally, the insurance provider added in their statement tips to prevent bicycle theft, including buying a decent bike lock that meets Sold Secure’s Gold Standard, register your bike with national schemes such as Bike Register and photograph distinctive marks on your bike in case it is stolen.
The Office of National Statistics reports that semi-private locations, such as sheds, is where most bikes are stolen from by far – with over half of all bikes being stolen from private areas not connected to the home in the last decade.
At the time of publication, South Yorkshire Police have yet to comment on the incidents in Nether Edge.