Number of bike thefts soar, say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats have released figures showing that a bike is stolen in Britain every five minutes, with a 10% rise in the number of thefts since 2001.

Ahead of the arrival of the Tour De France in London, new figures obtained from a Parliamentary Answer show:

· In the last five years there has been a 10% rise in bike thefts across England and Wales - with 113,206 stolen in 2005-06 alone - one every five minutes.

· Last year there were almost 60 bike thefts reported every day in London

· In the last five years the number of bike thefts reported to the Metropolitan Police has increased by almost 50%

Commenting on the figures, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Alistair Carmichael MP said:

"This huge jump in the number of bike thefts is shocking. When the Tour De France comes to London riders will have to keep a close eye on their bikes.

"Rather than wasting billions of pounds on expensive and ineffective ID cards, Gordon Brown should be investing in more police officers to cut crime and keep our streets safe.

"Cycling is the most environmentally friendly way to travel. The Government should be encouraging cycling by doing far more to tackle bike thefts and make cycling more safe and pleasant.