Victims of bike theft in London are more likely to win the lottery than get their stolen bicycle back, new crime figures suggest.
Some 6,721 bikes were reported stolen to the Met between January and June this year, but just 39 cases have so far seen anyone charged, prosecuted or cautioned.
This equates to just 0.6 percent of cases having what the police coin ‘a positive outcome’ – compared to an 11 percent chance of winning any prize on the National Lottery.
And in February, just four of the city’s 855 reported thefts resulted in a charge or caution.
But experts warn the true number of stolen bikes is likely to be far higher, as many thefts are not reported to the police.
Former Lib Dem mayoral candidate Rob Blackie obtained the figures from the Met, London Centric reports.
He said: ‘Like most London cyclists, I’ve had my bike nicked – it’s infuriating and expensive.
‘These figures expose years of Met neglect. With only one in 100 cases solved, bike theft is practically legal. Thieves know this crime pays. Worst of all, this encourages more crime in future.
Former Lib Dem mayoral candidate Rob Blackie (pictured) obtained the concerning figures from the Met Police
Some 6,721 bikes were reported stolen to the Met between January and June this year, but just 39 cases have so far seen anyone charged, prosecuted or cautioned
Data shows bike thefts are most common in central London, including in boroughs Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Camden
‘The mayor must fix the Met, starting with getting enough police to deal with the crimes that matter to Londoners. If we can catch more bike thieves, it means fewer crimes in future.’
Data shows bike thefts are most common in central London, including in boroughs Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Camden.
Conversely the safest borough to own a bike is Bexley, with just 31 thefts in the first six months of this year.
Tom Bogdanowicz, of the London Cycling Campaign, said: ‘It’s depressing that there’s so little attention to it on the part of the police.
‘This is undermining the growth of cycling.’
He added: ‘Even I cycle less because of thefts. There are certain places where I know cycle theft is common and I’ll catch the bus or underground rather than cycle, simply because I know it’s not worth the risk. It’s depressing that that has to be the case.’
A Met Police spokesman said: ‘We have been working hard to crack down on bike thefts especially around hotspot locations.
‘We know that having your bike stolen can be significantly distressing and we are doing all we can to put a stop to these crimes.
‘In particular since the start of the summer, we have stood up additional plain clothes and uniform officers to bear down on the offences that matter most to Londoners.
