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Transport · the UK
Updated September 2026

🚲 My bike was stolen — what is the procedure?

Direct answer

Report it to Police — 101 / report online (999 in an emergency) (101) with the frame number — without it the bike cannot be traced or claimed; the number is on the frame, the receipt or your registration. Check BikeRegister — national cycle database (bikeregister.com), the bike register or lost-property route for the UK: recovered bikes are matched there, and registering yours now makes the next theft a claim. Contents or bike insurance pays with the police report; if they refuse, Transport for London Lost Property / rail operator / police (tfl.gov.uk).

Call firstPolice — 101 / report online (999 in an emergency)
Report toBikeRegister — national cycle database
If that failsTransport for London Lost Property / rail operator / police

🗣️ What to say

"My bicycle, [brand, model, colour, frame number], was stolen on [date] between [time] and [time] at [place], locked with [lock]. Photos attached. I want to file a report and get a case number for my insurer."

🪜 Step by step

  1. Frame numberUnder the bottom bracket, on the head tube or the receipt. Photograph it now for the next time.
  2. Report to Police — 101 / report online (999 in an emergency)Online, ten minutes. Case number for insurance and for the register.
  3. Register: BikeRegister — national cycle databaseMark it stolen in the national register; check it weekly and second-hand sites.
  4. InsuranceHousehold or bike insurance: report within the deadline, with the police number and the receipt.
  5. Found it for sale?Do not confront. Give the police the listing and the frame number; they recover it.

📇 All contacts

Police — 101 / report online (999 in an emergency)Local police for any crime that is not fraudBurglary, theft, threats, stalking📞 101🔗 www.police.uk
BikeRegister — national cycle databaseFrame-number register used by policeRight after the theft, with the frame number🔗 www.bikeregister.com
Transport for London Lost Property / rail operator / policeLost propertyIn the first days🔗 tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/lost-property
Your local councilNoise, waste, roads, housing standards, licensing, lost propertyFor anything the council handles🔗 www.gov.uk/find-local-council
Financial Ombudsman ServiceFree, binding complaints against insurersAfter the insurer's final response📞 0800 023 4567🔗 www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

❓ Frequently asked

Is it worth reporting?

Yes — insurance requires it, recovered bikes are returned only to reported owners, and the statistics decide where police put effort.

I have no receipt

Photos, the frame number, a bank statement of the purchase are enough for the report and usually for the insurer.

E-bike with an app

Report the location the app shows to the police; do not go alone.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “bike stolen what to do the UK”
  • “report stolen bicycle police”
  • “bike register the UK”
  • “stolen bike insurance claim”
  • “find stolen bike”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

📱Device stolen→🏚️Burglary→🚗Hit and run→🚇Transport card lost→

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