Protect your pushbike as Cameron falls victim to bike theft again

As David Cameron falls victim to bicycle theft for the second time, Confused.com encourages owners to check that home insurance policies offer adequate protection against the crime.

With summer fast approaching, many cyclists may be looking to dust off their bikes. However, as bicycles remain a desirable target for thieves, Confused.com offers advice on how to protect push bikes.

Darren Black, head of home insurance at Confused.com said: "More often than not, bikes are easy pickings for thieves as people often leave them unlocked while they quickly pop into shops. It doesn't take a long time for a thief to spot an unattended target and ride off on it. As people, including David Cameron, continue to fall victim to bicycle theft, there are several pointers that cyclists should follow to limit the risk of falling victim to the crime."

Preventative advice from Confused.com includes:

When cyclists are away from home and need to leave their bikes, it is important to make use of bicycle parking racks available in city centres, as well as always locking their bikes - regardless of how long they will be away from them

Using racks situated in busy areas of towns and streets is advisable

When cyclists' bikes are at home they should keep them locked away, either inside the house or in a secure outbuilding

Cyclists are advised to use ultraviolet marking pens to mark their postcodes on the bike. This will make it easy to identify, if recovered by the police

Photographing the bikes for insurance purposes

Cyclists should double-check their insurance polices. Some policies offer cover as an add on, whereas others offer the cover as standard. It is important that the cover is adequate for the bike and the value of it

For providers who offer bike cover as standard, it is important to ensure that it insures the bike when away from the home