BICYCLE thieves in Warwickshire are being warned not to expect an easy ride.
It comes after a thief stole a bike in Leamington which contained a police tracking device.
Darren Considine, of Beauchamp Road, Kenilworth, was seen stealing the bike on CCTV, without realising it contained a tracker.
The 28-year-old was chased by officers and the bike was later recovered after being dumped in a field near Offchurch.
Considine was also wanted for a breach of court order and was jailed for 12 weeks when he appeared at Warwickshire Magistrates’ Court.
Sgt Trent McMurray said: “Warwickshire Police has a range of items containing police trackers that are placed strategically around the county to deter and help us catch criminals.
“We know that a high percentage of bike theft is opportune – someone sees a bike that has not been secured and simply takes it and rides away on it. This can have huge financial implications for the victim, as well as the distress of having something stolen.
“The bike is part of our ongoing crime reduction campaign, and is designed to make thieves think twice before stealing something.
“Considine was tracked within minutes of stealing the bike, so it is an excellent example of how effective this tactic is.”
Leamington Safer Neighbourhood Teams also conduct bike registering events. Visit www.bikeregister.com/ for further details.
