Bike lock give-away

Manchester student Mike Joslin knows how it feels to have his cycle stolen - it's happened to him eight times. Now he's giving his support to a scheme to help put the brakes on bike theft.

Mike, a twenty year old politics student, will be joining Manchester City Council's deputy leader, Councillor Jim Battle, council staff, police officers and police community safety officers to hand out 150 free cable bike locks to students who come along to Whitworth Park, with their bikes tomorrow.

Police officers will also be offering to security mark cycles and register them on the national property database http://www.immobilise.com/ so they can be easily identified and returned if lost or stolen.

And there will be the chance to have a free electronic tag inserted into cycle frames. Officers have a limited number of tags, which transmit a radio-frequency signal that can be scanned with a reader to establish who the owner is.

Councillor Battle said: "We are responding to the requests of students to make life more difficult for bike thieves. We've met with Mike, who's had his bike stolen on numerous occasions, and other students to discuss their concerns. I'm pleased to join Mike to help put another obstacle in the way of bike thieves. There are lots of simple things we can all do to help prevent crime."

University Liaison Officer, Police Constable Scott Schofield said: "The event is a great opportunity to inform both students and local people about the simple measures they can take to safeguard their bikes as well as the importance of property marking.

"The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership has donated a hundred and fifty free Sold Secure bronze approved bike locks, which we will be giving to every person who attends with their bike so it really is an opportunity worth taking. Come along, meet your local officers and make sure your bike is safe."

The event will also be used to highlight road safety and basic cycle repair and maintenance. A local company will be available throughout the day to give bikes a safety check.

Media Contact:

Sally Wheatman, tel: 0161 234 4045