Police taking more action over bike thefts after ‘decriminalisation’ complaints

Under the previous policy officers would not investigate a bike theft if it was left outside a station for more than two hours

The British Transport Police (BTP) will now investigate bike thefts outside railway stations after campaigners claimed not doing so sends a message that stealing bikes is effectively “decriminalised”.

Officers will now investigate cases where a bike can be identified on CCTV or where there is a witness to the theft.

Under BTP’s previous policy, officers would not investigate a bike theft outside a station if the bike had been left for more than two hours, or if it was worth less than £200.

But campaigners argued this policy meant cycling facilities at stations were not secure and added that most commuters left their bikes for more than two hours, so most cases under this policy would be ruled out.

The change in policy follows two open letters from Cycling UK, which argued not investigating bike thefts will just increase crime.

British Transport Police will now investigate cases where a bike can be identified on CCTV or where there is a witness to the theft (PA)

Sarah McMonagle, the charity’s head of campaigns, said in the first letter sent in October: “Almost everyone who parks their cycle at a train station will leave it there for more than two hours, so at a stroke this policy will result in most cycle thefts at stations not being investigated. That sends a message to criminals that cycle theft at stations is a low-risk but high-reward crime.

“It is also likely to deter people from cycling to train stations, because we know that the lack of secure cycle parking is a substantial barrier to cycling. Accordingly, this policy is likely to increase crime, decrease the number of people commuting by bike to stations, and potentially reduce rail passenger numbers.”

Changes to the policy came into effect on 5 January.

BTP assistant chief constable Ian Drummond-Smith said: “Rail passengers whose bikes are stolen rightly expect a thorough police investigation to trace offenders and reunite them with their property, and we are committed to bringing more bike thieves to justice in 2026 than ever before.

“To further improve our service to victims, and following an internal review, we have recently refreshed our crime screening policy.

“Under this updated policy, our officers will investigate more reports and explore all viable lines of enquiry if a bike is identifiable on CCTV, or if there is a witness to the crime.

“We continue to work closely with the railway industry to pinpoint hotspot locations and improve CCTV footage to further our investigations and bring offenders before the courts.

“Since reviewing our policy, we have already charged a man with cycle theft. Our teams across the three countries continue to work hard to keep our railway safe.”