by Hannah Jones
WARRINGTON police have offered residents free bike marking and registration in a bid to reduce theft in the area.
The scheme, led as part of the Safer Streets campaign, has been funded through a £550,000 government grant that was set aside in order to tackle crime and improve community safety.
Community PCSO, Kieran Henderson said: “The bike register scheme is an absolute necessity in my personal opinion for a number of different reasons.
“It almost removes the ability to sell the bike on so makes it massively redundant to a thief.
“Experience tells me that if your bike is registered with the scheme, there is [also]a really good chance it will turn up.”
We are offering residents of Warrington FREE bike marking, if you would like your bike marked please email us with the info on the attached pic to [email protected]
We will register you bike with @bikeregister and deliver your kit to you home address. pic.twitter.com/AAguWkZPsK
— Warrington Police (@PoliceWarr) March 15, 2021
Residents across Warrington are welcoming the move, with many hoping the scheme will further reduce the declining bike theft figures within the town centre.
Julie Chadwick, of Bewsey, experienced bike theft firsthand when her son’s bicycle was stolen after he visited a friend’s house on Battersby Lane.
Ms Chadwick said: “My insurance wouldn’t cover it because it wasn’t at the house, there’s no support.
“He’d been out on it about 3 or 4 times, it was brand new, we work hard for what we’ve got and it’s just really annoying.
“I believe people are getting mugged for them too, luckily my son didn’t get hurt.”
It comes after Police teams in Penketh warned residents to be vigilant following a number of thefts from garden sheds.
With many suffering at the hands of thieves, some may be unable to cover the costs of replacement, or in the case of some failed attempts, repair.
Bike Register, the police approved national Cycle database, currently have over 1 million bikes on the register, giving police a concise record of ownership and a greater chance of asset recovery in the event of a theft.
Sean Quinlivan, a 56-year-old resident from Croft, decided to register his son’s bike after finding it lying out by the side of their house one too many times.
Mr Quinlivan explained his decision, saying: “Now that the weather’s getting better, he’s out on the bike all the time.
“But like all kids, he leaves it out, and I’m just worried someone’s going to see an easy opportunity to take it.”
