As a cyclist, I rarely leave my bike locked up for more than a few minutes because I know that determined thieves can smash their way through almost any lock in moments. So this security system being trialed in Portsmouth looks really interesting.

SOS Response – Bicycle thieves stopped in their tracks
When the bicycle owner locks up their bicycle they send a text to a security office to trigger the system to guard it.

If someone then moves or tries to move the bicycle a sensor in the lock emits a silent alarm which triggers a CCTV camera to zoom in and take a picture.

The sensor also sends an alarm to security staff and flashes up live images from the camera on to their monitors.

A security guard can then be sent to investigate.

I know it only works on a place like a university campus where security staff are on duty 24/7, but couldn’t traffic wardens be redeployed into something useful to make it work everywhere?