100 arrests made in Cambridgeshire's fight against cycle theft

More than 100 arrests have been made in a police crackdown on cycle crime in Cambridgeshire.

The arrests have all been made since the start of the Covid lockdown in March 2020.

51 of those people have since been charged and sent to court where some have been given prison sentences or Criminal Behaviour Orders.

Superintendent James Sutherland, Area Commander for the South of Cambridgeshire, said the rate of cycle crime was still too high, but some progress had been made over the last year.

"We have seen it decrease 25 per cent compared to the previous year, bucking the national trend," he said.

In one case, 25-year-old Blake Healy was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison last month after he was spotted by a member of the public lifting the seat from a bike in Hobson Street.

The woman confronted him and he used the addle to threaten her causing her to run into the road and almost into the path of a bus.

• Watch CCTV of the moment a woman confronts a bike thief

“When reporting bike thefts, the most important piece of information to include is the unique serial number on the frame of the bike. It’s also incredibly important to register your bike on the National Bike Register," Supt Sutherland said.

“We also urge cyclists to ensure their bike is secured with at least one decent lock, as well as being marked and registered to increase the chance of it being returned if it is stolen,” he added.