BICYCLE thefts in Worcestershire are on the rise, though the overall picture remains positive, according to a new study.

Analysis of theft numbers from police forces across the country shows West Mercia had the 12th lowest crime rate out of 43 police forces in Eng, Wal and NI in 2020, up from 8th lowest crime rate in 2019.

The highest number of crimes in West Mercia for any month since May 2013 was 155 in March 2013.

There were 26 months where reported thefts were more than 100 in nearly 8 years and only one of those months was in 2019 and 2020.

However, recently crime there’s been a rise in reported bicycle thefts eg reported thefts went up from 69 in July 2019 to 103 in July 2020.

This is a 49.3 per cent rise, which is 2nd behind Northumbria.

There were just six police forces that recorded a rise of more than 10 per cent over the same period.

The data, collected by bike insurers Quotezone, shows that bicycle crime in West Mercia is low when compared to national data, though the numbers are creeping up.

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion welcomed the news, but warned more needed to be done to fight bicycle theft.

He said: “Bicycle theft is one of the few crimes to have seen an increase during the pandemic, and it can have a significant impact on victims both financially and psychologically, if travelling by bike is an essential part of a person’s livelihood.

“As Commissioner, I remain committed to the officer uplift programme, recruiting more officers to ensure a proportionate and decisive response to deal with all crime types.

"I am, and remain committed to investing in crime prevention, and ensuring West Mercia Police has the resources it needs to provide the service the public rightly expects.”