Soho bike thefts warning.

[Spiderman]

Found this on another forum and thought it'd be relevant to anyone working in the west end, not just soho....


"Chaps,

I am writing to try and bring to your attention the latest theft scam in Soho/Central London.

I know that a lot of you guys park in and around Peter Street just off Brewer St. On Thurs I left my bike parked in Peter St and returned on Monday to find someone had locked the front wheel with a D-lock. I called the police and they said to call the fire brigade to get it cut off.

They wouldn't attend so I had to call out a locksmith for £65 and he angle grinded it off. The locksmith said this is very common. They put a lock on, glue it, and then come back later and cut the lock off and steal the bike. Can you make the bikers aware? Neil"

Dunno how true it is but better warned than not i guess.

[Stu]

I'll believe it when I see it.
But thanks anyway.

i have seen it done with push bikes (mates bike) but not a motor bike....

[Sid Squid]

I've rescued bikes immobilised in this way once or twice, the locks hadn't been glued or otherwise damaged however there's no need to - you haven't got the key, your bike's not moving for a while.
Another way is to break the clutch or front brake lever, (easy), or let a tyre down, commuter returns, bike won't move immediately, wait 'til it's dark, come and lift bike into van.
Clearly neither of those methods are a dead cert way of nicking your bike, but if a thief can delay your bike in a central London bike bay for a few hours 'til it's dark and lonely, the chances of them being queried over what they're doing fall dramatically.