Jan Celotto had his bike stolen from the bike rack outside Woodford Station.

Bike theft victim calls on Boris to step up security at Woodford Underground station

by Alistair Kleebauer, Senior reporter Friday, December 21, 2012
5:29 PM

A commuter who has refused to take the theft of his bike from Woodford station lying down is calling on Transport for London (TfL) to provide better security.

This CCTV image from British Transport Police is believed to show a man taking a stolen bike into Woodford Underground station

Jan Celotto, 43, of Denehurst Gardens, Woodford Green, had his £500 grey Mongoose mountain bike pinched from TfL’s bike rack at the Underground station in Station Approach on November 23.

There are no lights or CCTV cameras on the rack next to the entrance to the station’s car park, which Mr Celotto believes made it easier for his bike, which was chained up, to be taken.

He said: “There’s lights everywhere but the bike rack.

“If Boris heard he wouldn’t be very happy.”

Bike theft prevention

- Use a good quality accredited lock.

- Keep a record of the frame number, make and any other marks that can identify your bike if it is stolen.

- Register your bicycle details on to online property databases such as BikeRegister.com.

- If it is stolen, report it to the police.

Mr Celotto said he “kicked up a fuss with the police” after the bike was taken.

He was able to get a CCTV image, taken from the station’s entrance, which showed a man, believed to be in his 50s, walking in with the bike at 4.36pm.

Since then, Mr Celotto put up a reward sign and handed out leaflets showing the CCTV image to commuters and local shops to try and trace his bike.

He said: “I bought it a couple of months ago. I’d just started using it and taking it to the station.”

He has now been forced to use his girlfriend’s bike and on advice, has spent £100 on a bike chain.

Steve Burton, TfL’s director of community safety, enforcement and policing, said although the number of cycle thefts at Woodford station is “extremely low”, with two thefts in the past year, “any theft is a concern for us”.

He said: “We will continue to review the security measures we have in place at this location and will look to implement any additional measures that assist in reducing crime even further.”

Sgt Chris Chandler, of the Bridge and Monkhams safer neighbourhood teams, said: “We will look at the provision down at Woodford station for cyclists.

“We can only make suggestions.”

Anyone with information should call British Transport Police on 0800 405 040 quoting reference B8/LUA of 20/12/12 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.