COLCHESTER Council has stressed its commitment to clamping down on bike thefts after the Gazette revealed there were more incidents in Colchester than anywhere else in Essex last year.

Data obtained from a Freedom of Information request by the Gazette to Essex Police found the rate of bike thefts in Colchester last year was almost double the number recorded in 2021.

Essex Police solved just two out of the 432 bike thefts reported to the authorities in Colchester last year.

Increase – the number of bike thefts in Colchester has shown no sign of slowingIncrease – the number of bike thefts in Colchester has shown no sign of slowing (Image: Newsquest)

In response to the figures, Colchester Cycling Campaign called on Colchester Council and Essex County Council to take action to address the rate of thefts in hotspots such as Leisure World.

A Colchester Council spokesman said the authority has relaunched its Bike Wise campaign and improved security for cyclists at Leisure World and other parts of the city.

He said: “We are acutely aware of the distress and inconvenience caused by bike thefts and remain committed to addressing this issue in collaboration with Essex Police.

“We acknowledge the concerns raised by the Colchester Cycling Campaign and share their commitment to improving bike security.

“In conjunction with the Colchester Community Safety Partnership, the council has relaunched the Bike Wise campaign. This initiative aims to educate cyclists on securing their bicycles effectively and to provide guidance on the best types of locks to use.

“As part of this campaign, police officers are conducting audits of bicycles parked in key areas, including Leisure World, the university and the city centre.”

The spokesman said the council shares CCTV footage of thefts with the police to assist with investigations and the secure bike park allows cyclists to safely leave their bikes in the city centre.

Restarted – Colchester Council has said it has relaunched its Bike Wise campaignRestarted – Colchester Council has said it has relaunched its Bike Wise campaign (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

He said: “The secure bike park has proven to be very popular and can be accessed via the Spokesafe app from 7am to 10pm. We strongly encourage cyclists to take advantage of this facility to enhance bike security.”

An Essex County Council spokesman said they are looking into creating more secure cycle parking spaces.

He said: “Essex County Council contributed over £50,000 to the Colchester secure bike storage hubs project and will continue to explore more opportunities to create secure cycle parking in the city.”