CYCLISTS are being urged to get their bikes marked as cycle theft in Abingdon rises.

There were 31 thefts from January 1 to March 17 this year compared to 15 in the same period last year.

But officers say if they find suspected stolen bikes they cannot return them to their owners if they have not been security marked or registered online.

Bikes are stored at Abingdon Police Station but auctioned off if no one claims them. Pc Carl Bryan urged cyclists to register their bicycles online at websites such as immobilise.com and bikeregister.com.

He said: “We ask everyone to ensure that they securely lock their bicycles and also to register them.”

The neighbourhood team will be offering bike security advice at The Spring Cycle Festival in The Market Place on Sunday, April 13.