British Transport Police (BTP) have announced they will no longer investigate bike thefts if the owner left their bike unattended for more than two hours. The force says hunting down CCTV footage beyond that window eats into vital patrol time.

Strict New Rules on Bike Theft Cases

• Bike theft reports won’t be pursued if the bike was left unattended for over two hours.
• Thefts on trains won’t be investigated unless the passenger can pinpoint the exact carriage.
• Bikes valued under £200 are not worth reporting, according to police guidelines.
• Car thefts where vehicles were unattended over two hours also face the same investigation cut-off.

Victims Left Furious as Bike Theft Cases Dismissed

Simon Feldman’s bike was pinched from a CCTV-covered cycle park at Watford Junction station. Having left it for 10 hours while working in London, he reported the theft, only to be told BTP wouldn’t investigate.

"The BTP report said they wouldn’t investigate it, even though it’s right under a camera," Simon told the BBC. "I was pretty shocked because what it’s doing effectively is decriminalising bike theft. I realised how many people are being affected by this."

Police Defend Cutbacks Amid Rising Crime

A BTP spokesperson said:

"While we understand bike thefts are upsetting and costly, many of these crimes lack clear timeframes, locations, or CCTV evidence, making investigations unlikely to succeed. The more time spent reviewing old footage, the less time officers have for patrolling and handling serious crimes."

Investigations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, balancing proportionality, available evidence, and the likelihood of solving the crime. Even cases not pursued still help inform patrol strategies.