Cost of living rise: More people turning to bikes - and more bikes being stolen, say Fleetwood Police

It thought that in the face of rising bills, people are using cars less and turning to bikes – and the increased use of them has also led to a rise of bike thefts in the town.

Police in the town are urging bike owners to vigilant but are also keen to advise owners that they can benefit from a proposed bike-coding session in the town after the force looked to purchase more than a thousand bike-coding kits.

In a post on the Fleetwood Area Police Facebook site, the force stated: “More now than ever we look towards using the car less and getting back on our bikes for not only getting to local places but for fun and fitness.

“We have noticed an increase in bicycle thefts around Fleetwood.

“E-bikes are also growing in popularity and the prices of these bikes keep rising.

“In partnership with Wyre Council and Lancashire Partnership against crime (LANPAC), Fleetwood Neighbourhood Police will be acquiring over a thousand bike coding kits with an aim to reduce bike theft and protect our bicycles and also mobile scooters that we have recently had reports of being taken.

“Tamper proofing our property with UK Official QR Codes adds a layer of security which can lead to identifying whose bike belongs to who through a secure system.”

The post advised that a bike-coding session was to be staged at Milton Street Community in the near future, at a date to be confirmed.