Neighbourhood police officers have planted ‘scarecrow’ bikes in Hatfield in a bid to promote bike security.

The bikes, which are brightly coloured and contain warning messages, have been placed at bike racks outside The Galleria shopping centre, the Asda store in the town centre, and Hatfield Swim Centre.

It is hoped the scarecrow bikes will remind cyclists to keep their bikes secure and deter thieves.

One of the bikes placed outside The Galleria in HatfieldOne of the bikes placed outside The Galleria in Hatfield (Image: Hertfordshire Constabulary) PCSO Mark Randall said: “We’ve placed the bikes in hotspot locations and we will be rotating them around the various bike racks.

“We want the bikes to be a visible reminder to cyclists to ensure their bikes are secure. The bikes also contain warnings to thieves that we are patrolling in the area.

“A top tip for securing your bike is to double lock it. Using two locks slows thieves down and makes your bike less of a target.

"We recommend using two quality locks and at least one should be a D-lock. Thieves are less likely to carry multiple tools, so please use two different types of lock if possible.

“There’s lot of tips on our website so please do take a look at herts.police.uk/crimeprevention.”

One of the 'scarecrow' bikes outside Hatfield Swim CentreOne of the 'scarecrow' bikes outside Hatfield Swim Centre (Image: Hertfordshire Constabulary)

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You can report information about bike theft online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in the Force Communications Room via online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100 per cent anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

If you believe a crime is in progress, always call 999.