Insurer: Students are victims of bike theft

Students are being advised to check their home insurance policy before they return back to university towards the end of the month.

Direct Line Home Insurance has found many students are the victim of bicycle theft during their time at university.

The home insurance company has found the total cost of replacing stolen student bikes around the UK amounts to £18.7 million as 106 bicycles are stolen every day.

Direct Line's head of home insurance Andrew Lowe comments that students should have a good quality lock on their bike, as theft of the item increases in September when many students are starting a new academic year.

In recent years, the number of claims for stolen bicycles has risen as much as 34 per cent in September - just when new and returning students are wheeling out their bicycles to campus and bringing them back to their halls of residence for the new academic year, he states.

Mr Lowe advises that students should take out a good home insurance policy or check that they are protected by their parents.

Students have been advised over the summer to not neglect the issue of insurance when they move away to university as many undergraduates become a victim of crime during their time studying for a degree .