Bike thefts are soaring in Huntingdonshire with the number of crimes recorded so far this year passing those recorded in the whole of 2016.

Huntingdon has proved a hotspot for thefts, according to a new survey drawn up by Cambridgeshire police.

The town had nearly double the number of cycles reported stolen in St Neots, the next highest crime area in the survey carried out across Huntingdonshire.

More than a third of thefts happened at the owner’s home, with significant numbers of thefts taking place at shops, railway stations and in the street.

The survey said: “The intention was to see if any patters emerge that will help both the police and the public so that crime prevention advice can be targeted more precisely in relation to places, times and any other factors that appear to be significant in the theft of bicycles.”

It said that “not surprisingly” most theft took place in the district’s three main towns, with Huntingdon well above St Neots and St Ives in third place.

So far this year, 245 bike thefts have been reported in Huntingdonshire, overtaking the 241 which took place in the whole of 2016.

The survey showed that a third of stolen bikes had not been locked, nearly a third were worth £500 or more and most thefts took place in the summer months.

It said three-quarters of theft victims went on to upgrade their bike security, but that a third of victims did not replace their missing machine.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire police said: “You should always lock your bike whenever you leave it unattended, both at home and at your destination. We also suggest cyclists take the following advice:

“Lock your bike to a cycle rack, post, or another immovable object, try to use two different types of lock, choose a busy, well-lit area, with lots of passers-by, rather than a quiet, dark corner.”

The spokesman said: “Ideally, use designated bike parking facilities or choose an area with CCTV coverage, lock your bike tightly so that it cannot easily be moved and make sure the two locks catch the bike frame as well as both wheels and the solid object you are locking it to.”