‘Crack down on stolen bikes being sold over the internet’

One in six cyclists who have had their bike stolen has spotted it for sale online, a new study has found.

The London Cycling Campaign today called for tough rules to be brought in for people selling bikes on sites such as eBay and Gumtree.

It also called for the Metropolitan Police to set up a unit to look at the growing problem of bike thefts in the capital. Last year 23,000 were reported stolen in London, an average of 63 per day — up 30 per cent on last year, with unreported thefts estimated to add another 40,000 to 60,000.

"Internet sales of stolen bikes are out of control," said Mike Cavenett of the LCC. "Something needs to be done about this theft epidemic. The capital needs a dedicated police team to tackle cycle theft."

Mary Watson had her bicycle stolen from Oxford Street. As soon as she discovered it had gone she searched Gumtree and found the bike being offered for sale. With the help of community police and bike shop staff, who retrieved the serial number, the thief was arrested. "My faith has been restored and all in less than 24 hours," she said.

The LCC is calling for websites to introduce strict new rules on identification and today launched a new anti-theft campaign, Beat The Thief.