Man admits stealing bicycles and shoplifting in Swindon

A man has pleaded guilty after stealing three bicycles and shoplifting from B&M Stores in Swindon.

Jamie Loveridge, 27, of Station Road, Swindon, was charged after being caught stealing a pedal cycle from outside the Savoy Public House in Regent Street, Swindon, on 26 April.
Officers were able to quickly find and arrest Loveridge due to the quick work of the Swindon Borough Council CCTV operators, which included the recovery of the stolen bike.

He was also charged for the theft of bicycles from Canal Walk and Regent Street on April 23, and theft by shoplifting from B&M Stores in Ocotal Way, Swindon, on 26 February.
He appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 27 April and pleaded guilty to the offences. He is due to be sentenced on 29 May.
PC Bezzant, based in Swindon, said: “We were fortunate to have recovered one of the stolen pedal cycles on this occasion thanks to the quick actions of the CCTV operators, which allowed officers on the ground to apprehend the suspect.
“We remain committed to targeting this type of offence and continue to employ a number of initiatives to help reduce offending.
“This has included targeted patrols in hot spots, working with our CCTV partners and the deployment of bait bikes.
“While offenders are using more determined efforts to attack secured bikes with wire cutters and more heavy tools, we are still seeing many pedal cycles secured with substandard and poor-quality cheaper locks.
“As you can see in the attached video clip, the suspect approaches the secured pedal cycle and within a matter of seconds of pulling at the bike, the lock is defeated and they are then able to cycle away on the stolen property.
“Please use a good quality lock to ensure that your bike is kept secured.”
Swindon Police have also issued suggestions of other ways in which people can protect their bikes:

- Double lock it. Using two locks slows thieves down and makes your bike less of a target. Use two quality locks, at least one of which is a D-lock. Thieves are less likely to carry multiple tools, so use two different types of lock if possible.
- Lock the lot. Lock the frame and both wheels to a secure cycle stand.
- Secure it - Secure your bike as close to the stand as possible to give any thieves little or no room to manoeuvre.
- Take removable parts with you. Take parts that are easy to remove with you, such as wheels, lights, baskets or the saddle. Or use locking skewers or nuts which can increase security by securing the bike's components to the frame permanently.
- Park securely. Lock your bike at recognised secure cycle parking. It should be well lit and covered by CCTV.
- Register it. Register your frame number on a national bike registration database approved by Secured by Design. The frame number is usually found underneath the bike between the pedals or where the back wheel slots in. If your bike is ever stolen and recovered by the police, it can be traced back to you.
- Mark it. Get your bike security marked. It’s a highly effective, visible deterrent to bike thieves. They know that if they are caught with a registered bike, the owner can be traced and they will be arrested. Security marking products can be found at Secured by Design.
- Remember safety begins at home. Take the same care to lock your bike securely at home as you would on the street. Avoid advertising that you have a bike at home, for example, by removing car roof racks, and creating ‘privacy zones’ on apps like Strava to avoid disclosing your location.
- Check ownership. Ask for proof of ownership and check the bike frame number on national bike registration databases approved by Secured by Design.
- Act fast. If your bike has been stolen, contact us as soon as possible by calling 101 or reporting online. Give us your frame number, cycle database number, a photo and any other details and make sure you update the status on the cycle database where you registered it. The sooner we know, the sooner we can act, which might stop it being sold on.