Bike theft is on the increase with some riders facing a one in 13 chance of having their motorcycle stolen, it was revealed today.
The worst spot for theft is London with bikers in the western part of the capital most at risk, the survey by the Carole Nash Insurance Consultants company found. Outside London, Manchester has the worst theft record, while theft rates have rocketed in the hitherto comparatively low-risk area of Hull. Another area where the bike crime rate has risen sharply is Aberdeen, while other high-risk areas include Watford, Sunderland, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool and Northampton.
Warren Dickson, head of marketing at Carole Nash, said: "London has historically dominated our theft survey and this year is no exception. Alarmingly, though, this year, we have seen a substantial rise in average risk, with increases reaching as high as 28% across London.
"Nationally the picture is also fairly gloomy with risk rising and theft hotspots in pretty much every region of the UK." He went on: "If an organised gang targets an area that will necessarily be reflected in our claim statistics. "Unfortunately it's not possible to predict where they will strike next which is why it is important for bikers to protect their bikes with the highest level of security they can afford and to always take sensible precautions when parking their machine."
Mr Dickson called for local authorities and employers to invest in more secure motorcycle parking facilities in order to deter thieves and encourage more people to take up environmentally-friendly, congestion-busting motorcycles.
LB says: Please ensure that you employ the most proven tactic for securing your bike, keep it out of view! Hide it, alarm it and use industry-grade security equipment. LB recommends Almax security chains.
