Police are appealing for witnesses and asking bike owners to be vigilant following the theft of a Ellsworth Moment Mountain Bike as per image attached.  The bike was taken from Forres High Street between 9:00 pm on Saturday 19th October 2024 and 2.00 pm on Sunday 20th October 2024.

Anyone with information can contact the Police on 101 or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting incident number CR/0397173/24.

North East Division Crime Reduction Officer Constable Russell said ‘It can take thieves as little as a few seconds to cut through some locks that haven’t achieved the Police Preferred Specification, so use two good quality locks, at least one of which is a D-lock (sometimes referred to as a U-lock). 

• Secure your bike as close to the stand as possible to give any thieves little or no room to manoeuvre. 

• Lock the frame and both wheels to the cycle parking stand. Locks are considered more vulnerable when they come in to contact with the ground, so keep them off the floor. 

• Security marking your bike using a SBD recognised forensic asset marking or etching kit is another highly effective, visible deterrent to thieves and an established method of reducing theft. 

• Register your bike on a secure, Secured by Design (SBD) recognised national database. The police will check these databases if they find bikes in the possession of a criminal or in the street to identify the rightful owner. A bike carrying a database stamp is a highly effective, visible deterrent to bike thieves as they know that if they are caught with a registered bike they will be arrested, as the rightful owner can be traced by the police within seconds. 

• Take parts that are easy to remove with you, such as the saddle or wheels. Or use locking skewers or nuts which can increase security by securing the bike’s components to the frame permanently, making it difficult for thieves to steal detachable parts. 

• Always ensure you have adequate insurance, should the worst happen, remember home insurance policies may only cover you for up to £500 unless specific details and value are added.

Further advice regarding bike security can be found at www.scotland.police.uk

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Police Scotland's North East Division covers rural and urban areas in Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City.  The division has five territorial command areas which have their own dedicated Area Commander, who is responsible for the daily policing function.  Each command area is served by a number of community policing teams whose activities are built around the needs of the local community.  These teams respond to local calls and look for long term solutions to key issues.  They are assisted by the division's Crime Reduction Unit who deliver against Force and local priorities in a number of areas, including physical and social crime prevention, supporting and enhancing community engagement and creating and sustaining strong and effective partnership working.