SE1 man jailed for bike theft

24-year-old John Holloway of Long Lane was sentenced at Wimbledon Magistrates Court this week to four weeks imprisonment for theft of a pedal cycle.

He will also serve an additional 8 weeks imprisonment as a result of him re-offending while subject to a suspended sentence for a previous bike theft.

A second man, 21-year-old Thomas O'Connor from Rotherhithe, was fined for handling stolen goods.

The pair were caught on Wednesday 24 April when officers from the Met's cycle task force and Wandsworth safer transport team were carrying out a bicycle operation in Balham.

Officers witnessed both O'Connor and Holloway approach a locked bicycle at Balham railway station. O'Connor, who was on a Raleigh Urban 700 bicycle, acted as look-out while Holloway cut the lock.

Both men were detained by officers who carried out checks on the Raleigh bicycle O'Connor was riding.

Officers checked BikeRegister.com as there was a security marking on the frame.

They found that the Raleigh was indeed registered on the database, however the owner was not O'Connor.

The legitimate owner was contacted who informed officers he had left his bicycle secured outside his home in Balham High Road that morning and has just returned home to find it was no longer there.

The fact the owner had security marked and registered his Raleigh on BikeRegister resulted in the bike being recovered and subsequently returned to him.

Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor said: "Had the stolen Raleigh not been security marked and registered, officers would not have been able to identify an owner.

"We encourage all cyclists to register details of their bike on the MPS preferred cycle online registration service – www.bikeregister.com – for this reason.

"We are determined to bring cycle thieves to justice and are working closely with BTP, City of London Police and Transport for London to reduce cycle theft accross London."