Burglary Alert: Bicycle Thefts in Sands End

Dear Residents,

I am one of your dedicated ward officers for Sands End - PC Woods. I'm glad to see so many people have signed up to Met Engage on our ward. I hope you find it a useful way to stay updated about ward matters and to stay in touch with myself and my colleagues.

I am sending this message out today as unfortunately in the last couple of months we have noticed a rise in bicycle thefts from residential bike storage areas across Sands End. We have had several reports of these bicycle burglaries in these last couple of weeks. Criminals seem to be getting access to these storage areas and are stealing bicycles from within.

If you own a bicycle and have it locked up in a secure bike storage area, perhaps as part of a block of flats or houses where you are living, please check that people are not following you into these secure areas. Also, make sure your bicycles are securely locked up in these storage areas. You can find detailed crime prevention advice on how to secure your bicycle on the Met Police website: Protect your bike from theft | Metropolitan Police

If you've noticed any suspicious activity you think might be linked to these bike thefts, I would encourage you to report this to us to help us try to reduce these incidents. You can report suspicious activity online through the Met Police website, or by calling 101. You can report information anonymously through Crimestoppers.

We will be organising a bike marking event in Sands End in response to this increase of bicycle thefts and will update you when this has been arranged.

Kind regards,

PC Woods