Two males try to steal a bike on an Irish street before undercover detectives move in and catch them.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has warned cyclists to secure their bikes properly, saying bike theft is “almost the new car theft”.
And to highlight the brazen nature of the some of the thefts – during daytime on busy city streets – the police have released footage of a robbery foiled on a Belfast street.
The clip can be found at the start of the video just below from the BBC.
PSNI Sgt Pete Cunningham said bike theft is “almost like the new car theft”, with the police force introducing a new bike registry scheme so owners of recovered bikes can be reunited with them.
“People are leaving their bikes unattended, which provides a unique opportunity for others to take them,” Sgt Cunningham said.
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“We need to secure bikes when we are out and about. Even if it is just for a short period of time, they need to be secured and left in a well-lit area.”
Paul Manton, manager of McConvey's Cycles in Belfast where bike thefts are soaring, told the BBC reporters that people who owned bikes needed to spend more on locks.
He added even if thieves found a way to open locks, it would take much longer to get break through better quality locks and that the delay acted as a deterrent.
“Usually, theft is the last thing on anyone's mind when they are buying a bike,” Manton said.
“We’d recommend that people spend at least 10 per cent of the value of their bike on a lock, but very few people rely on good quality locks.
"You could have a two or three thousand pound bike in your shed, which only has a £5 padlock on its door and no lock on the bike itself.”
BBC Newsline TV report; robbery footage
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