Motorbike Insurance

Police are to issue letters to riders in Jarrow and South Shields warning them lock up their bikes - or risk losing them to thieves.

A number of owners have been left facing claims on their motorbike insurance policies in recent weeks after a spate of thefts, the Shields Gazette reports.

Officers are stepping up patrols in the areas in a bid to help catch the culprits, but they are also delivering letters to owners warning them to step up security.

"The letters are designed to help stop thefts by encouraging riders to take safety precautions," said Ian King, neighbourhood inspector for Jarrow and Hebburn.

He advised bike owners to park their machines in well-lit areas and secure them with disc locks that fit around the brakes.

Owners should use a good-quality security chain or padlock, and consider installing a ground anchor in the garage or backyard to which a bike can be chained, he added.

This comes after two off-road bikes, valued at around £400 each, were taken from outside a family home in Burnley, according to the Lancashire Telegraph.

The vehicles had been bought as Christmas presents for two young children, but the boys had barely even had a chance ride them before they were stolen.

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