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@Erudin
Think marking/registering the bikes is a great idea, and make a full police report if bike stolen, this bloke could not prove he was the rightful owner after spotting it.
http://digilander.libero.it/felixpetrelli/bicyclethieves.htm
"Police. When you need them they are never around. I crossed the road, and always keeping an eye on my cycle, called '999'. "Don`t leave the telephone box, we have located you, some officers are on their way." I was happy at the idea of having found my bike. Two bobbies passed by. I explained the situation. I described the bike and when I saw a guy unlocking the bike, the officers crossed the road and stopped the guy.
They questioned him and his answers were enough for them to let him go with my bike. He was a French student who had bought the bike from Brick Lane Market in London for £ 50 two weeks earlier. So they turned to me - "In his limited English we believe he is in good faith." There was no crime and because I hadn
t reported the theft at the time they couldnt refer to any criminal record either. They could do nothing - it was a civil matter....I contacted Cycle AID - a free cycleline tel. 0800 387815- for advice and Mr. Michaeo Blair, an ex Northen Ireland PC, remarked that here in England investigation is not compulsory and that just to open a civil trial would cost me around £ 80 in a county court, and even then there was no guarantee of winning the case.** He further explained that a photo wasn
t enough to establish the ownership of the bike.** Maybe a frame number could help. So I called the shop where I bought the bike and they said my bicycle didnt have a frame number because bicycle companies have only recently started to write numbers on bike frames."