Just 27 people in Waltham Forest were charged with bike theft offences from 2020 to 2025, despite 2,931 bikes being reported stolen in that period, reports Nathan Clarke
Just 0.9% of reported bike thefts in Waltham Forest between 2020 and 2025 have led to a charge, as residents complain about “disinterested police” and a lack of investigations.
Just 27 people in Waltham Forest were charged with bike theft offences, despite 2,931 bikes being reported stolen in that period.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Echo has also revealed the borough’s bike theft hotspots, with Walthamstow wards High Street and St James being the worst-hit with 347 and 258 thefts reported from 2020 to 2025.
Chingford Green and Endlebury wards have instead seen just 23 and 13 reported bike thefts over the same period.
Last year, bike thefts in St James ward reached a five-year high with 71 bikes reported stolen last year, more than twice as high as the previous year.
High Street remained a main target for bike thieves in 2025, with 40 offences last year, followed by Chapel End (39) and William Morris (27).
In all, 450 bike thefts were reported to police in the borough in 2025, a marginal decrease on the year before (482).
423 of those offences in 2025 saw the investigation close with no suspect identified with the crime investigated “as far as reasonably possible”. Only nine bicycle theft suspects were identified last year, with four formally charged.
Local residents have previously expressed concern that “rampant” bike thefts were damaging the borough’s cycling credentials.
Wood Street resident Sam Baynham had his bike recently stolen from the bike shed in his apartment complex, where several other bicycles were also taken.
He told the Echo that he contacted police and the management company of the building as soon as he noticed the theft – but that no suspect was ever identified.
“The police were quite responsive initially saying they would send someone out to have a look, but within an hour the case was closed because there were no leads,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Baynham offered to assist the police by checking CCTV – which he says offered a clear view of the bike shed – and through speaking with neighbours who had also lost bikes, but felt the police were “uninterested” in pursuing the thieves.
“It felt like I was doing the investigation for them,” he said.
Responding to data uncovered by the Echo, he said the findings were “unsurprising but incredibly frustrating.”
“I’ve had two bikes stolen in my life, and both times nothing has been done by the police,” Sam added.
“It’s no wonder it’s so prolific because nothing gets done about it. I get the police are busy and underfunded, but a bit more compassion wouldn’t have gone amiss – they just felt disinterested.
“It’s astonishing to think how many people are out there stealing bikes and getting away with it.”
According to the London Cycling Campaign, an estimated 40,000 bicycles are stolen in London every year – with only 2% ever recovered. The group has warned that a ‘significant proportion of people who have their bikes stolen simply stop cycling.’
Superintendent Sarah Jackson, the Met’s neighbourhood policing lead for Waltham Forest, said: “We recognise the significant impact bike theft has on victims – from the financial loss to the inconvenience it causes.
“By carrying out targeted patrols in theft hotspots and using intelligence to identify repeat offenders, we continue to drive down neighbourhood crime.
“In Waltham Forest, theft has fallen by 19.3% this year to date and residential burglary is down 10.6%.
“We urge cyclists to protect their bikes, including security markings and registering them, and to report theft right away so officers can act quickly and improve the chances of recovery.”
When approached, the British Transport Police said: “Rail passengers whose bikes are stolen rightly expect a thorough police investigation to trace offenders and reunite them with their property, and we are committed to bringing more bike thieves to justice in 2026 than ever before.
“To further improve our service to victims, and following an internal review, we have recently refreshed our Crime Screening Policy. Under this updated policy, our officers will investigate more reports and explore all viable lines of enquiry if a bike is identifiable on CCTV, or if there is a witness to the crime.
“We continue to work closely with the railway industry to pinpoint hotspot locations and improve CCTV footage to further our investigations and bring offenders before the courts.”
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