Police put a spoke in the wheels of bike thieves

POLICE have arrested four bike thieves in one week as part of a new drive to tackle petty crime, antisocial behaviour and street drinking in the Southside.

Officers made the arrests as part of Operation Allegro which is specifically targeting the offences committed in the Nicolson Street corridor.

Chief Inspector Alwyn Bell said: “We are very happy with the immediate success of this initiative. Bike theft is a problem which spikes in the area each year and we advise people to ensure their bike is properly secured and their stair door locked.

“The initiative will continue to focus on bike crime until November when we will begin to target on-street drinking, vandalism and graffiti. In early December we will then shift our focus to shoplifting. The winter months and dark nights have a lot to do with a rise in calls to due with antisocial behaviour and street drinking so we are looking to take a proactive approach and reassure members of the public.”