Free cycle security marking at Brighton, Bognor Regis, Eastbourne and Three Bridges

British Transport Police (BTP) Crime Reduction Officers and Southern Rail Neighbourhood Officers are embarking on a series of educational cycle surgeries ove rthe next six months to encourage owners of pedal cycles to ensure their property is more secure.

They will be equipped with BikeRegister tags to mark your bike with a unique ID number to make it easier to recover your bike if it is stolen. They will also offer advice on how to register with the BikeReigster site. They will also be checking bike racks and leaving crime prevention advice.

This is all done free of charge, so next time you park your bike at one of the stations named below, why not say hello to the team and increase the security of your bike at the same time.

The events are scheduled for the following days:

• Wednesday 3rd February 2016 at Bognor Regis railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 10th February 2016 at Brighton railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 2nd March 2016 at Eastbourne railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 9th March 2016 at Three Bridges railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 3rd February 2016 at Bognor Regis railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 6th April 2016 at Lewes railway station 5-7pm
• Thursday 7th April 2016 at Bognor Regis railway station 5-7pm
• Monday 11th April 2016 at Eastbourne railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 13th April 2016 at Brighton railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 20th April 2016 at Bognor Regis railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 27th April 2016 at Three Bridges railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 04th May 2016 at Brighton railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 11th May 2016 at Eastbourne railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 18th May 2016 at Bognor Regis railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 25th May 2016 at Three Bridges railway station 5-7pm
• Wednesday 1st June 2016 at Brighton railway station 5-7pm

If you can't make it to one of these surgeries, here's some general advice from BTP regarding keeping your bike secure:

Before you ride

• Register your bicycle at www.bikeregister.com.
• Mark your frame with your postcode in two separate locations, one of which should be hidden. Attach a ‘Coded Cycle’ label to reduce the risk of making your bike a target for theft.
• Take a photograph of your bike and record your frame number and key details. This will help us to recover your bike if it is stolen.

At the station

• Whenever you need to leave you bike, make sure you lock it. Lock the frame and both wheels to a cycle stand or a strong immovable object.
• Whenever possible, lock your bike in a busy, well-lit and CCTV covered area.
• Consider using more than one lock to secure your bike and ensure that you use a recognised security standard lock. D-locks, extension cable or heavy chain locks are certified locking mechanisms. It is important to ensure that yours are up to date.
• Make the lock(s) and bike hard to manoeuvre when parked by ensuring little room between the stand and the bike.
• Locks are considered more vulnerable when they come in to contact with the ground, so keep them off the floor.
• Keep valuables secure. Don't put them in open baskets or panniers.