Warning following bike thefts in the Forest of Dean

Holidaymakers travelling to the Forest of Dean are being advised to ensure their bikes are secure following a number of thefts.

Police have warned that they have seen numerous thefts of high value bikes recently, with these happening at holiday parks and camp sites.

A recent theft took place in Lydney where two mountain bikes totalling £8,000 were stolen from a holiday park where they had been secured to a tree. The thieves cut the locks off.

Inspector Nick Cook said: "The Forest understandably attracts a lot of tourists and holidaymakers, especially cyclists due to the numerous bike routes and family trails.

"What we've seen recently is people falling into a false sense of security that because they're on a holiday park, they feel their items are fairly secure.

"This isn't the case though and opportunistic thieves target sites such as this where bikes haven't been properly secured.

"We're advising people to keep their bike safe and to make sure they use D-locks and to give their property the best protection."

For more advice on how to help keep your bike safe visit: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/keeping-vehicles-safe/how-safe-is-your-bike/