POLICE will offer free bike marking theft protection during a special event in Crewe.

Local officers will be on hand on Saturday December 21 at Crewe Square between 10am-12pm to security mark bicycles.

Marking helps details are registered on a national database and helps the police trace the owner if the bicycle gets stolen.

A post-Christmas event will take place at the same place on Saturday, January 11.

Police crime reduction advisor, Mark Cotton, said: “Now is a great time to mark up new bikes brought for friends and family at Christmas.

“We are urging as many young people as possible to come along and have their bike security marked. It acts as a deterrent to would-be thieves and is also a good way of identifying a bike if it is ever stolen and later recovered.

"We do recover many, which we suspect are stolen, but we are often unable to trace the owners as there are no security markings on them. This makes it very difficult for us to trace who the bike belongs to as there is very little to go on.”

Police are encouraging anyone who owns a bike to reassess their current security to reduce their chance of falling foul of thieves.

Cyclists are being reminded to remain security conscious and to follow a few simple security tips: Keep your bicycle locked away and out of sight when not in use - ideally in a shed or garage that is fitted with heavy duty locks.

Invest in a good quality bike lock for when the bike is in use and left for a short period of time.

Do not attach the bicycle to something which could easily be moved or cut and try to leave it in a well-lit area where there are a lot of people around.

Report any suspicious activity in your area to police immediately.

Anyone with any information about bike theft is urged to call Cheshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.