UK motorcycle theft report JANUARY: Crime trends & arrest stories

Seeing how criminal gangs move their operations around the UK can help motorcyclists realise the importance of locking their bikes, and be more prepared when thefts rise in their area.

This map shows the increases and decreases of motorcycle and scooter thefts by comparing the last full month’s data with the month before that. Remember – this is a MONTHLY overview.

Open the tab below the map to show the data in full, as the colours represent the CHANGE to theft rates reported by each Police force, not the quantity.

This month's theft stats explained

Thefts rates typically drop with fewer bikes out on the road over winter, but these motorcycle crime stats – which are gathered from the Police National Computer – cover all Powered Two Wheelers, so include scooters and other small-capacity machines used by delivery drivers in urban areas and which are often left unsecured.

Despite the seasonal lull, yearly motorcycle theft rates have been dropping over the past few years: data from November showed that motorcycle and scooter thefts were down 9.4% compared to the rolling year before, a trend that has continued since 2022.

Theft figures show that PTW thefts have consistently been BELOW those of 2022, 2023 and 2024 in every month except July 2025, where they crept up just above those of July 2024, but remained below 2022 and 2023.

The biggest drops in motorcycle crime during December – which could indicate that criminals / gangs have been arrested or moved onto other areas – are in North Wales and Lothian and Borders. Wales as a whole has seen a significant reduction in thefts, though of course fewer riders will be visiting the lovely roads there.

If you want to discuss these figures, please join us at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk

The hardest hit area of the UK – the Metropolitan Police region – saw thefts drop from 442 to 391, but other parts of the country have seen increases. Fife has the highest rise (though it’s from zero to four), and Bedfordshire almost doubled from 10 to 19, making these two of the potentially most significant zones to watch for an increase in gang activity.

As always, using some form of additional security on your bike goes a huge way to reducing the chances of it being stolen, then you can stop worrying and get on with enjoying yourself. Check out our independent guide to the best motorcycle locks here.

Total PTW thefts December 2025: 1,390 (down 78 from November)

Motorcycle crime news January 2026

Tracker leads to two arrests

Merseyside police: We have arrested two males from Clock Face after two motorbikes were stolen in the Parr area on the night of Wednesday 7 January.

Officers received a report that a blue/silver motorcycle [a Voge R125] was stolen from Latchford in Warrington earlier the same day at around 2am. Officers found that one of the bikes had a tracking device that led them to Chester Lane in Clock Face where they saw two males in the area who ran from police but were later detained in the rear garden of a property.

Both bikes that the men were riding were seized near Willow Tree Primary School and on Chester Lane.

Two 17-year-old boys from Clock Face were arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, driving without insurance, dangerous driving, and failing to stop.

They have both been taken to a police station in Merseyside where they remain in custody.

Ketamine bust leads to motorcycle recovery

Merseyside Police: Three people were arrested on Friday 19 December following warrants to tackle the supply of ketamine in St Helens.

At around 9.30am officers executed nine warrants, searching six properties and three vehicles in the St Helens and Rainford areas.

Officers seized large quantities of suspected controlled Class A and B drugs, ketamine and methadone, a significant amount of money along with drugs paraphernalia and a suspected stolen motorbike were recovered.

Three detailed within three minutes

Nottinghamshire Police: City West officers detained three suspects within three minutes of hearing a moped had been stolen.

Neighbourhood officers were out in Aspley when reports came in over the radio about the theft of a motorbike.

Having heard about the theft in Grassington Road at 2.35pm on Monday (8 December), police searched the area.

Fast forward to 2.38pm and the officers in question had spotted and detained three juveniles near allotments in New Road.

They also managed to recover a moped they suspect was stolen during the incident, after finding it abandoned down an adjoining alleyway.

Three 15-year-old boys were all subsequently arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle.

Man arrested after large amount of drugs and a stolen motorbike seized

North Yorkshire Police: We’ve arrested a man today (24 December) after we seized a large amount of drugs during a warrant operation.

We forced entry to a house in Catterick Village where we found a large quantity of class A and class B drugs – amounts that were consistent with drug dealing.

A Honda off-road motorbike which we suspect is stolen was also seized, along with a large quantity of contraband cigarettes and vape products.

The warrant was executed earlier this month and subsequent investigations have led us to arrest the man in his 40s.

Motorcycle recovered during drugs bust

West Midlands Police: We've recovered a haul of Class A drugs after executing a warrant in West Bromwich.

We acted on information and raided a property in Trinity Street this morning (30 December).

We recovered more than 100 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine and detained three men and a woman from the address.

 A man who attempted to evade officers was detained in the rear garden.

Four men aged 21, 24, 35 and 40 - and a woman aged 45 - have been arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

They're currently in police custody for questioning.

The warrant was executed by the West Bromwich neighbourhood team and a suspected stolen motorbike and tools were also seized. 

Arrest made and stolen motorcycle recovered

West Midlands Police: Alert officers recovered a stolen motorbike and arrested a teenager in Dudley.

Officers were on patrol in the town centre when they spotted the bike near Stafford Street at just before 8pm on 14 December.

It had been stolen near the town centre earlier in the month.

A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle. He has since been bailed - with conditions - while enquiries continue.

We know the impact of vehicle crime on our communities and we're continually working to recover stolen vehicles and identify those responsible for stealing them.

Two teens convicted of riding stolen motorbikes

Merseyside Police: Two teenagers have been convicted following an incident in Bidston in November.

At around 11.10pm on Wednesday 19 November, a report was received of anti-social behaviour involving motorbikes and mopeds in the area of Upton Road, Bidston. The riders reportedly rode to Bidston Hill, where a motorbike and a moped were abandoned near to Bidston Observatory.

Working alongside the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter, officers tracked two suspects to the woodland area and detained them near to Eleanor Road.

A 16-year-old boy from Woodchurch and a 15-year-old boy from Beechwood were charged with handling stolen goods, driving without a licence and driving without insurance

Both have now been convicted and ordered to pay a fine, victim surcharge and their provisional driving licences have been endorsed with six points.

Constable Jack Blane said: “There can be a perception that there are no consequences when such incidents happen, but we hope this provides some reassurance to those who report anti-social behaviour in our communities, and will hopefully lead to positive change in both boys."

Motorcycle crime news you might have missed

Our data shows that using even a basic disc lock can reduce the chances of your motorcycle being stolen by a factor of three, and using heavy-duty security at home can make it less likely to be stolen than the average car.

High-value car crime has the attention of thieves, but while the odds are that you WON'T have your bike stolen, crime has and always will be a sad part of life. By taking some simple extra steps to secure your motorbike, you can make yourself far less likely to fall victim. Check out our regularly updated and totally unbiased guide to the best motorcycle locks here.

You’ll find the previous months’ maps at the bottom of this page, which will help to see how the gangs move around. The figures are obtained from the Police National Computer, and while there will be small discrepancies due to recorded times and other factors, the data gives a clear indication of where crime is at its worst during different times of the year. Please do need to keep in mind that an improving region could still have relatively high rates of theft. Equally, a region that's suffering might be coming from a low base.

Accessing this data costs, so it’s thanks to the support of the two leading motorcycle tracking companies – BikeTrac and Datatool – that we’re able to bring you it.

In order to maintain our editorial independence, we asked these both of these two competitors if they’d like to support it together, and they jumped at it. Professionally monitored trackers can give the fastest possible alert of a theft, which can result in the safe recovery of your motorcycle extremely quickly.

The excellent relationships with Police forces around the UK that BikeTrac and Datatool have can result in action being taken quickly as officers aim not just to secure the stolen bike, but also potentially perform an arrest.

If speed of response and location accuracy are important to you, a monitored tracker can offer the best chance of getting your bike back quickly and with the minimum of damage.

Previous theft data

Over the coming months we’ll add the previous maps here, so you can quickly and easily see how the patterns of crime move around the country at different times of the year.

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