Dozens of cyclists queued up to get their bikes marked during a police event aimed at reducing theft.
The free initiative, staged on Thursday night (16 September), is part of the multi-agency Newark Safer Streets project.
It is the second time the neighbourhood team has run the marking sessions and there are a further four planned until January 2022.
Residents who live within the Top Row and surrounding streets – target areas within the Safer Streets project – were among those to benefit from the scheme.
In total 27 bikes were marked by officers at the Co-op Side Row location between 6 and 9pm.
The process involves a unique tamper proof code being marked on to the bike frame in a way that makes it impossible to remove. The code is registered on a database, with photos and owner details.
Neighbourhood Sergeant Rob Harrison ran the event. He said: “Our bike marking has been hugely successful and is proven to act as a massive crime deterrent because it makes it harder for criminals to sell bikes on and makes it easier for us to reunite stolen bikes with their owner.
“Cycling is really popular in our area and we know that bike theft is a real concern to the community so my team are committed to delivering this service.
“We’ve been blown away by the interest we’ve had and it’s great that people want to do what they can to protect their property.
“We’re glad that we can provide this service and are pleased to see Newark benefiting from more crime preventions as part of the Safer Streets project.”
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “Bike theft is a distressing not to mention disruptive crime bringing huge inconvenience to victims, especially those who rely on their bikes to commute to work.”
“Any positive action we can take to reduce the risk has to be welcomed. This free service is an important part of the Safer Streets project and is part of a whole list of new measures to deter crime and make residents feel safer about where they live.”
Councillor David Lloyd, Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “We know that having a bike stolen can be devastating for cyclists, many of whom cherish their bike and may have spent a lot of money on it.
“We take cycle theft very seriously and these bike marking events as part of the Safer Streets Project are really popular with residents, making it harder for criminals to operate and more importantly, limiting their chances of getting away with it.”
The Newark Safer Streets project was extended in June 2021 after project leaders secured an additional £109,000 to fund safety improvements in three new locations – Mill Gate, Bowbridge Road and Barnby Gate.
It comes following the success original project which was launched in September 2020 comprised of £550,000 to fund initiative in the Chatham Court and Northgate areas.
