Lib Dems call for ‘Operation Bike Bait’ as only 2% of all bicycle theft solved last year

24 Oct 2025

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Shocking data from the Home Office reveals a bike theft epidemic, with only 2% of criminals charged and a total of 86% of all bike thefts going unsolved last year. The Liberal Democrats have said that bicycle theft is effectively ‘decriminalised’, with the party calling for ‘Operation Bike Bait’ to tackle the offence.

The British Transport Police has an appalling record of over 95% of all cases going unsolved last year. The Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police both also reported over 90% of cases unsolved.

Almost two thirds of police forces in England & Wales had at least four in five (80%+) of cases going unsolved. Of 44 police forces, none had solved more than 55% of bike theft cases.

This comes as the British Transport Police have said that bike thefts outside London railway stations will not be investigated if they have been locked for more than two hours.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a dedicated unit, ‘Operation Bike Bait’, in the National Crime Agency that carries out "bike bait" operations to tackle the ongoing theft epidemic.

The unit would work with local police forces to carry out targeted operations, planting bikes fitted with trackers in theft hotspots so officers can catch offenders and uncover wider criminal networks.

It would also coordinate the collection and sharing of intelligence and best practice across forces, helping to build a national picture of bike theft and improve the policing response.

Max Wilkinson, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, said:

“Every single day, thousands of victims are denied the justice they deserve - criminals are getting away scot free because bike theft has effectively been decriminalised.

“Things cannot continue like this. Our communities deserve to feel safe - and that includes being confident that if you’re the victim of a crime, justice will be served.

“The Government cannot afford to dither and delay, they must crack down on unsolved crimes. That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for ‘Operation Bike Bait’- to tackle the bike theft epidemic once and for all.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Data from the Home Office on bike theft can be found here.

The forces with 80% or more of bike theft cases going unsolved are: