Detectives get on bikes to cut muggings

Undercover detectives are getting on bicycles to tackle a new trend in street robbery. In the first move of its kind, CID plainclothes officers are patrolling on cycles to tackle an explosion of mugging in west London.

Street robbers are increasingly using two wheels to escape down alleys and subways.

In Hammersmith and Fulham there were 150 street robberies last month, up from 66 in October last year. A third of the muggings were committed by cyclists.

Senior officers launched a special squad which got immediate results. It is supported by fast-response cars and motorcycles, but the cycle officers usually get to the scene first.

Last week, police made arrests in one in three muggings - many of them involving the new squad.

Detective Superintendent Stephen Cassidy said: "This has been our most effective method of tackling robbers and we are looking at extending it. Robberies have gone down from five a day to three."