Arresting bike theft

Technology being developed at Leeds University could put the brakes on bicycle thieves and may also be useful in flagging suspicious events in public places.

PhD student Dima Damen, from the University’s Faculty of Engineering, has developed a computer system that detects individuals parking their bicycles and can automatically warn security staff if it appears that someone other than the owner retrieves the vehicle.

'It’s difficult to monitor CCTV cameras, as operators normally have a large number of screens to watch,' says Damen. 'This often results in bicycle thefts being missed, even if they are happening right in front of the camera.'

Over 500,000 bicycles are stolen annually in the UK and only five per cent of these are returned to their owners. The increase in the number of people travelling by bicycle as an more eco-friendly method of transport has provided greater opportunities for bicycle thieves across the UK and while many local councils have located CCTV cameras above public bicycle racks, their effectiveness in deterring thieves is limited.