Mass bike registration scheme for York

York is the latest UK city to hold a mass bike registration scheme in a bid to combat on-going cycle theft.

Operation Spoke is being launched by the Guildhall Safer Neighbourhood Team, and officers hope the thousands of bike owners in York will register in the coming weeks.

The system works by invisibly marking cycles with a unique registration number which will be stored on a database along with details of the cycle’s rightful owner.

PC Jonathan Hodgeon, one of the officers behind the scheme, said: “The unique number will be written on the bike in permanent UV pen, which officers can quickly scan in seconds, and if you don’t own the bike you will have to account for that.

“This will help with city centre bike crime and also abandoned bikes will be able to be reunited with their owners. Along with Cycle City York, we are aiming to make bikes as well protected and identifiable as cars.”

Every officer in York will be issued with a UV torch and next week will see a number of events in York where cyclists can register.

Alternatively, cyclists are asked to contact their local policing team via the police website at northyorkshire.police.uk or by phoning 0845 6060 247 0845 6060 247.

Operation Spoke registration events will be held in York from January 13 to 17, in Parliament Street, on January 14, from 9am to 3pm, in Front Street, Acomb, on January 21, from 9am to 3pm at Oaklands Sports Centre, on January 23 at Tesco’s Askham Bar store, on January 20 and 21 at St Lawrence’s School and on January 22 and February 8 at the University of York.