Chester police to offer free bike engraving on Tuesday

May 17 2008 Chester Chronicle

POLICE in Chester are hoping to make a mark when it comes to bike crime in the city.

Officers from the Chester Outer Neighbourhood Policing Unit, together with partner agencies, are looking to ensure as many people as possible have their postcodes engraved on their bikes.

Sergeant Julia Bryant said: “Every year Cheshire Police has to auction hundreds of stolen bicycles that have been recovered but can't be traced back to their owners.

“A simple and cheap way of making your cycle identifiable is engraving your post code and house number, or first couple of letters of your house name on the bottom bracket. Your post code is universally understood and unique to your address.”

She added: “At this time of year it is not just bikes which can be marked. Garden tools, strimmers, mowers and even hanging baskets can be engraved to make them more identifiable and less attractive to thieves.”

Each Neighbourhood Policing Unit in Cheshire Police’s West has been equipped with two engraving kits, thanks to Crimebeat, that can be used by communities to security mark their property.

Officers will be on hand to mark property prior to the Boughton/Vicars Cross area committee meeting on Tuesday, May 20 at Oldfield Primary School, Green Lane.

Members of the public are invited to bring their property along to have it engraved with the session running from 6.30-7pm.

For further details about the engraving kits and their availability to the public contact Cheshire Police on 0845 458 0000 and ask to speak to a crime reduction advisor.