POLICE think awayday thieves are coming to Southend by rail, stealing bikes, then taking them back on the trains.

Officers are stepping up patrols near the town’s nine railway stations after a spate of thefts in the past week.

Many of the 14 thefts were in and around Station Road, Westcliff , close to Westcliff station, with cycles locked and left for the day by commuters a favourite target.

Insp Brad Dickel, of Leigh police, said: “We’ve seen a noticeable increase in the theft of cycles in Southend over the past couple of months. It’s more than possible we have a team of offenders coming from outside the area, committing these bike thefts, and then taking them away on trains.”

Officers have launched a joint operation with the British Transport Police in an effort to catch the crooks.

Police are mounting more random checks on cyclists and increasing the number of uniformed and plain-clothes patrols.

Mr Dickel said his officers would also be organising more bike tagging events, at which machines are electronically marked to make them harder for thieves to sell on.

He added: “I’d ask people to be vigilant when they are securing their bikes.

“We are still seeing bikes left insecure in front gardens and outside shops when people go inside. They make themselves more of a target for opportunist thieves.

“I’d also ask people to keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour, where people are overtly tampering with bikes.”

The next bike tagging event will be held by the elevated walkway on the Queensway estate, in Coleman Street, Southend, from 10am until 1pm on Friday. Anyone with information about bike thefts is asked call Southend police on 101.