British Transport Police admit Farnborough Main railway station is a cycle theft hotspot

Inspector Mick Morriss, who oversees British Transport Police’s operations in Farnborough, has identified the Farnborough Main railway station as being a top priority when it comes to tackling cycle theft. However, local commuter, Peter Taylor, says that more security measures need to be taken after his bike was stolen

Taylor had chained and padlocked his bike to Farnborough Main’s bike rack, but when he returned in the evening, it had gone. Speaking to Get Hampshire, the 64-year-old Farnborough resident said:

“My first reaction was to go to the ticket office to report the problem. The person there rolled their eyes as if to say ‘not another stolen bike’. I also reported it to the police, but I know they are not going to get it back.”

Inspector Morriss said that British Transport Police were aware that the station had a problem and that efforts were being made to address this:

“Whenever we receive a report of a theft, we employ a number of steps to identify the person responsible, obtaining images of suspects from CCTV at the station, before circulating them on intelligence systems and to neighbourhood policing teams.

“We are putting additional patrols in place at the station in order to tackle cycle crime, as well as holding cycle surgeries where passengers can have their bikes security marked for free.”

Taylor, however, feels that not enough is being done.

“I know the station is a hotspot for bike theft, there are signs up warning cyclists. That is all well and good and everybody is responsible for locking up their own bikes but the people who steal these bikes are not amateurs, they are not opportune thieves, they are well organised and know when the police patrols have gone.”

Farnborough Main underwent £2.8m renovations earlier this year and the bike racks were replaced, but while Morriss urges people to secure their bikes in them, Taylor doesn’t see why cyclists can’t make use of the station’s secure compound.

“A small fortune was spent on improving the car parks at Fleet and Farnborough railway stations. The old bike racks were ripped out and replaced with shiny new ones, but nothing was done to improve the security there.

“There is a secure compound at Farnborough Main but no one had the imagination to perhaps extend that for cyclists to use.”