1,200 bikes are stolen every day, says study

More than 1,200 pedal bicycles are being stolen every day across the UK, research has revealed.

A study by the insurance company Direct Line suggested that about 440,000 bikes are being taken by thieves each year.

Direct Line "planted" locked bikes in 10 cities and within 24 hours mostof them had been stolen, with half disappearing within just two hours.

A bike left in Croydon, south London, was stolen within an hour and bikes locked up in the centre of Manchester and Liverpool lasted less than two hours.

Direct Line warned that consumers could be fuelling the problem by not checking the ownership of a bicycle if they buy one second-hand.

Almost a half of second-hand bicycles are bought over the internet, where people are far less likely to ask about previous ownership. Andrew Lowe, of Direct Line, said: "With bike theft on the increase cyclists need to be more careful than ever when leaving their bikes locked up in public.

"Using a good lock and placing the bike in an open and visible area will all help. However, our experiment demonstrated just how quickly a bike can be taken even when locked up in a public area," he added.