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Three hundred and sixty two bikes were stolen at the Center Parcs village in Elveden, Suffolk in ’08 and ’09 – leading to the holiday village to draft in a permanent police resident to deter thieves, as reported by the Daily Telegraph.
Police community support officer Suzanne Ashford now patrols the Elveden village on her mountain bike.
A staff cycle patrol has also been set up to cut bike theft numbers, and workers are reportedly being encouraged to become special constables.
"It is no secret that over the past 12 months or so we have clearly been targeted by a group or groups of persistent offenders who come in and target guests’ bikes and, in some instances, their accommodation," admitted Center Parcs spokesman Simon Kay.
"This is a statement of intent. We are letting people know these crimes will not be tolerated."
The other Center Parcs resorts in the UK – at Sherwood Forest, Longleat and Whinfell Forest, Cumbria – have not suffered from bike thefts to the same degree as Elveden.
Cycling Sports Group (CSG) supplies Center Parcs’ bike lines and recently picked up a supplier award from the holiday firm.
