THE number of bicycles stolen from the streets of Oxford is the highest for five years – and police are calling for more cycle racks to combat the problem.

From the start of April last year until the end of March this year, 2,137 bikes were stolen – a rise of 352 on the previous 12 months.

Police blame the rise on a shortage of bike racks in the city and ‘lazy’ cyclists who did not bother to secure their bikes properly.

City centre Sgt Claire Storry said: “People are just careless. There aren’t enough places for people to lock up their bikes securely and a lot of people aren’t even locking them or they are using cheap locks.”

Sgt Storry said thieves often took parts of bikes, such as the panniers and lights, which were easy to remove.

She added: “People don’t both taking them off and they are easy to steal.

“I know it’s a pain but they need to be aware that people will take them.

“People think Oxford is a nice city and nothing is really going to happen. Bikes are easy targets and they are fairly easy to sell at places like car boot sales and on eBay.”

Sgt Storry said police often had problems tracking down the owners of bikes if they recover them.

She urged cyclists to get their bikes engraved with their postcodes, which can be done free of charge at any police station, and to make a note of their serial numbers.

Police teams in Headington and East Oxford have set up a dedicated email address at eastoxfordbikedatabase@ thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk where people can provide officers with details about their bike, including frame number, colour, make and distinguishing features.

Officers will then load the details on to a database and check it if they stop a suspected thief on a bike.

Sgt Storry said: “It’s really sporadic, it’s not like there are people stealing bikes to order or targeting special locations. Most of it is opportunistic theft.”

City centre worker Alex Blok, 46, from Jericho, has lost three bikes to theieves in the last two years, as well as having two vandalised — including one in Ship Street two weeks ago.

Mr Blok said: “The only way to prevent this is a much more secure way of locking up bikes.

“It needs to be done in a way that bikes are monitored with really good CCTV. It’s a very serious problem.

“I know others who have had theirs stolen.

“I have a colleague in the office who has had three bikes stolen.”

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Owen Morton said: “There are a large number of secure cycle racks available at locations across Oxford and the county council will continue to monitor the situation regarding the need for future provision.

“However, it must be remembered that where there’s high demand, there’s also limited space for additional cycle racks.

“Unfortunately, bicycle thieves operate at all locations and it’s impossible to remove entirely the risk of theft.”

eallen@oxfordmail.co.uk