It’s time, I’m very much afraid, to issue another warning – theft of bikes and ebikes in the Brownhills and wider Walsall area continues to escalate in the wake of the bike boom and  general retail shortage of new machines since lockdown.

Bikes are highly nickable at the moment. Make sure yours is secure. Image from Maya Cycle.

Bikes are in demand right now with the pandemic waning and lockdown relaxation, so are easy to sell sell on the black market, sales sites, etc.

The local police posted the following helpful advice today:

Good afternoon

Lockdown has seen a lot of people dust off their old bike and get back cycling. With a lot of people holidaying at home this year you may well be planning a few bike rides.

We wanted to share our top tips for keeping your bike safe.

Always lock your bike when you leave it – even if it’s only for a few minutes. We would recommend using a D-lock.

Lock it in a busy well-lit area, where lots of people are walking past. Nothing puts off a bike thief as much as an audience!

When at home it’s safer to lock your bike in a garage or shed or keep it indoors rather than leave it in the garden.

There are more tips on our website if you need them https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/your-options/cycle-theft

We wish you a safe staycation and hope for some lovely weather.

Please ensure you lock all your outbuildings, and secure your premises as best you can. Don’t leave valuables on view in cars, and make sure anything that could be used in a burglary – ladders, garden tools etc. – is securely stowed away.

There are some good security tips for sheds and outbuildings at this page here and yet more at this link here. The most important tip I think is not just to lock your bike in the shed, but use a bike lock when it’s in there: Preferably to a ground anchor, but if not to something that will be hard or noisy to separate it from. It won’t stop a determined, professional thief but could alert you to the local opportunistic neds.

Get a decent lock too for when out and about. Tips on those and how to use them properly can be found here.

If you’re offered a cheap bike, tools, car stereo equipment or gardening kit, think hard about where it might have come from, and by all means grub the people flogging them into the rozzers – the stuff is probably nicked. Next time, it could be your stuff they take.

Anyone with information on the recent spate of thefts is urged to contact West Midlands Police by dialling 101 or you can speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.