Three arrested in clampdown on bike theives (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Three arrested in clampdown on Clacton bike thieves

7:00pm Thursday 11th October 2012 in News

THREE suspected bike thieves have been arrested after police launched a series of dawn raids in Clacton.

Officers from Clacton and the British Transport Police raided properties in Old Road, Elmden Court and Swallowdale in Clacton.

A 21-year-old man and two 15-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of stealing bicycles from Clacton Railway Station.

The raids, which took place yesterday morning, were in response to a spike in bike thefts over the last two months in Clacton.

It is hoped one bike will be identified and returned to its rightful owner.

Sergeant Sarah Jay, of Essex Police, said: “There are lots of victims of crime out there who will have locked their bike up so we want to show we are tackling the problem, identifying those responsible, returning the bikes and preventing further crime.”

British Transport Police had obtained CCTV footage of the thefts from Clacton Railways Station before passing it on to officers in Clacton.

Sgt Jay said there have been 64 reports of stolen bikes in Clacton in the last two month alone.

She said: “That is a huge amount.

“Most will be stolen to sell on, it is so hard to identify stolen property and there is a market for it.

“But our advice is if something seems too good to be true then it usually is.”