Britain’s cyclists should face up to the theft risks inherent in bike ownership, a home insurance provider said today.

Sainsbury’s Bank has released new bike theft data, showing that 1,208 cycles are stolen every day in the UK. A surprisingly large proportion – 16 per cent – of these cycles was found to have been stolen from people’s homes.

The home insurance provider derived the data from studying customer theft claims details from 2004 to June 2008. Bikes are often covered by home contents insurance policies.

Bike thefts have hit the headlines recently due to the leader of the Conservative party, David Cameron, being captured on camera after falling victim to the crime. The politician had attached his £1,000 mountain bike to a bollard while shopping in Notting Hill’s Portobello Market before it was stolen.

Commenting, Neil Laird at Sainsbury’s Bank said: “David Cameron is far from being the only person to have a bike stolen. Unfortunately, bicycles are a popular target for thieves as they can be relatively easy to steal and re-sell. It’s important cyclists consider their bike security at home as well as away.”

Sainsbury’s also issued anti-bike theft tips, along with its home insurance claims data. Investing in a secure lock, recording and registering the cycle and marking or tagging the bike all came highly recommended from the provider.