New Bike Racks Thwart Theft

"The Design Against Crime Centre devises innovative gadgets and adapts everyday items to make theft as difficult as possible."

"The latest Design Against Crime idea to go public is the M-shaped cycle stand, the shape of which makes it easier to lock both wheels and frame to the stand and harder for thieves to remove it. Tested over two years in Camden, north London, and Brighton, the "caMden" stand has now been adopted by councils nationwide.

Adam Thorpe, who headed the team which designed the stand, said: 'At the start of the project we saw thousands of people locking just the top tube of their bikes onto stands, which make them easy to steal. The shape of our stand makes it obvious that the whole bike needs to be secured. It should encourage more people to cycle, safe in the knowledge that their bikes will still be there upon their return.'"