Report a theft

First, if you've had a bike stolen, please report it to the Police. Without a theft report there is nothing they can do to recover your bike, and without a crime number it will be impossible to claim on any insurance you have.

https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/contact/crime_reporting/ReportCrime.aspx

Here's how to report a stolen bike on this blog:

• Email me a picture and/or a description at stolenbristolbikes@gmail.com.Try and include the make, model name, colour and size as a bare minimum, but the more detail the better!

• If you're describing the bike, list any changes you made to it - such a tyres, saddle or suspension forks. If it has any distinguishing features such as stickers or damage, list them too.

• If you're sending a picture, don't worry about the size, but please try and put it in .jpg or .gif format. Please don't send theft reports as Word documents, as getting the pictures out of the document is a major faff. 

• You can also send a link to a picture if you've uploaded it to a website such a Facebook or Flickr. Right click on the picture (or CTRL click if you're using a Mac), go to "Properties" and then copy the address of the image (the text you copy should end in .jpg or .gif).

• If you state where and how you locked your bike, and what type of lock you used (e.g. D-lock, cable) it could be helpful to someone looking to prevent their bike being stolen.

• If you want to add anything else (such as how it was stolen or why the bike was special to you) then feel free, it makes for more interesting reading than a bare description.