Forres mountain bike theft sparks police appeal

The public have been urged to use “two good bike locks” after a mountain bike theft in Forres.

Police Scotland launched an appeal for information after an Ellsworth Moment Mountain Bike was stolen from Forres High Street.

A spokesperson said an Ellsworth Moment Mountain Bike was taken between 9.00 pm on Saturday, October 19 and 2pm, Sunday, October 20.

North East Division crime reduction officer Constable Richard Russell said: “It can take thieves as little as a few seconds to cut through some locks that haven’t achieved the Police Preferred Specification, so use two good quality locks, at least one of which is a D-lock (sometimes referred to as a U-lock).”

Anyone with information can contact the Police on 101 or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting incident number CR/0397173/24.

Constable Russell also shared some further tips for avoiding bike thefts:

• Secure your bike as close to the stand as possible to give any thieves little or no room to manoeuvre.

• Lock the frame and both wheels to the cycle parking stand. Locks are considered more vulnerable when they come in to contact with the ground, so keep them off the floor.

• Security marking your bike using a SBD recognised forensic asset marking or etching kit is another highly effective, visible deterrent to thieves and an established method of reducing theft.

• Register your bike on a secure, Secured by Design (SBD) recognised national database. The police will check these databases if they find bikes in the possession of a criminal or in the street to identify the rightful owner. A bike carrying a database stamp is a highly effective, visible deterrent to bike thieves as they know that if they are caught with a registered bike they will be arrested, as the rightful owner can be traced by the police within seconds.

• Take parts that are easy to remove with you, such as the saddle or wheels. Or use locking skewers or nuts which can increase security by securing the bike’s components to the frame permanently, making it difficult for thieves to steal detachable parts.

• Always ensure you have adequate insurance, should the worst happen, remember home insurance policies may only cover you for up to £500 unless specific details and value are added.