Significant investment and interest to encourage both health and lifestyles have been made in Walsall cycling infrastructure and support. New cycle paths, links to national cycle routes, new cycles and collection points, Walsall Bike Projects Forum and support for cycling competitions.

The worst effects of local cycle theft are felt by the young and disadvantaged. Police have never taken cycle theft seriously. Bike theft in parts of Walsall feels like an inevitability. It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of lock or preventative measure you use or where you leave them, bikes seem to just go missing in an instant.

Critically, 90% of all bike theft cases reported to police in England over the last year were closed without a suspect even being identified. Just 1.7% resulted in someone being charged. Stealing a bike is a classic low risk high reward crime. Yet it is not victimless and causes trauma and financial hardship. Many people use bikes to get to work.or school. Let’s support and encourage this cycling lifestyle.

How are we supposed to work towards an new era of active travel and more cyclists if people don’t feel safe and secure with their bike or it is regularly stolen? Perhaps the police, you very occasionally see, riding around on their public funded bikes, should get on their bikes more often and support local cyclists by beating bike theft.

Doug James, Walsall