Portsmouth streets named as national bike theft hotspots

TWO Portsmouth streets are named amongst the top ten bike theft hotspots in the country, according to statistics.
Bike thefts in Portsmouth are higher than the national averageBike thefts in Portsmouth are higher than the national average
Bike thefts in Portsmouth are higher than the national average

Research conducted by bicycle insurer Protect Your Bubble, through analysis of crime data from every police force in England and Wales, revealed both Commercial Road and Arundel Street feature in the list.

Commerical Road comes out sixth highest with police receiving 51 reports of bike thefts between October 2015 to September 2016.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There were 46 reported thefts in Arundel Street during the same period, which makes it the 10th highest location nationally.

The study also found that the average bike thefts per 1,000 people in Portsmouth was well above the national average.

There were 955 bike thefts recorded during the 12 month period translating to 4.5 per 1,000 people, the ninth highest in the country.

Rob Basinger, head of UK at bicycle insurer Protect Your Bubble said: ‘Bike theft is a nationwide issue but there are some streets that stand out as having a particular problem. Commuters leaving bikes at railway stations for any length of the time stand a chance of being targeted.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘If you have to leave your bike on the street then make sure it is locked securely and, as with any item of value, if you think it may be at risk then consider taking out insurance for extra peace of mind.’