Falkirk cyclists urged to take steps to protect their bicycles

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “People should secure their bicycles and ask themselves what can I do before I set off?”

Steps people can take to secure their property include photographing their bike and recording all of the bicycles’s details and distinguishing features – the cycle’s serial number can be found on the bottom bracket.

Bicycles can also be registered securely online at the National Cycle Database at www.bikeregister.com to help aid the recovery of a bike if it goes missing.

Bike frames can be marked with a UV pen or other method – the mark should include a home postcode and house number.

People should be careful what photographs and information they post about their bikes on social media, setting privacy settings so addresses and locations cannot be identified by potential thieves.