'My bike was stolen while I was riding it and police did nothing'

Cristiana Jones Caccavale contacted BBC Your Voice after being told there was "not much" the police could do when she was "rammed" off her electric bicycle and had it stolen from her while she was riding home from work.

Jones Caccavale, from South Bermondsey, said two men on a moped blocked her route along a cycle path and knocked her off her electric Brompton bicycle before stealing it from her in February.

They also tried to steal her phone and backpack, but did not make off with either item.

Jones Caccavale, who contacted the police about the theft, was told by the call operator that there was "not much" the force could do. The following day the Met Police told her it would not investigate the incident.

"No suspects had been identified," the Met told BBC London.

Jones Caccavale said she had been left in fear by the theft, which affected her daily.

"Every time I leave work and I start to get close to where it happened, my body [is] shaking all over," she said.

Instead of cycling for 20 minutes to work, she now takes two buses, increasing her commute time to an hour.

A spokesperson for the Met said they recognised the "significant impact" bike theft had on victims.

Recounting the day of the theft, Jones Caccavale said she was left with a leg injury after being knocked from her bike on the designated cycle path.

"I was shaking completely and hurt," she said. "I just had to walk home and it was a horrible feeling.

"As soon as I got home I contacted the police, I told them what happened. He (the call-handler) said that there was not much he could do.

"I asked him, 'Do you have any advice?' He said: 'Try to walk on busy streets.'

"What am I supposed to do if the way to get home is not busy? It made me feel totally vulnerable."

Jones Caccavale said the following day she was told the case had been closed.

"That was shocking for me," she said. "It was awful to feel like just another crime [victim]."

She said an increased police presence and more CCTV in her neighbourhood would help her feel as though she was "more protected" against criminals.

Jones Caccavale said she did not want to replace her stolen bicycle as she now felt too afraid to cycle in London.

"It was so traumatic, I don't want to go through this again," she said.

A spokesperson for the London Cycling Campaign said: "Police do next to nothing about cycle theft, even when it includes violent bike-jacking by organised criminal gangs.

"Only 2% of those who have a bike stolen ever see it again and even basic follow-up is rare.

"The police need to act, particularly targeting violent criminals. But as our report shows, we also need more action from online marketplaces and a national register for bike sales. Bike theft should not just be part of the price of cycling in London."

BBC London transport correspondent Tom Edwards said there was disbelief and frustration among cyclists and cycling groups that bike thefts were not investigated - even when they involved violent attacks.

"It's difficult to say if the number of bike jackings has increased, but it has been going on for years. Considering a 1.5m journeys a day are by cycle in London, you would think bike-jacking is still relatively rare," Edwards said.

"But some cyclists feel unprotected and vulnerable and feel bike theft is not a police priority.

"Campaigners are calling for these thefts to be taken much more seriously and for a clampdown on the resale websites. At the moment, the criminal gangs often on mopeds clearly feel they can get away with it without any sanctions or repercussions."

A spokesperson for the Met said: "We are continuing to crack down on neighbourhood crimes that most affect our town centres and high streets. Since last April, theft across London has fallen by 21%.

"If your bike is stolen, report it to us as soon as possible online. The sooner we know, the sooner we can act, which might stop it being sold on."

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