When Phil Berry, 46, locked his bicycle to the bike parking racks at Station Square, so he could get the train to work at King’s College in London, he didn’t expect to come back and find the rack cut through and his bicycle gone. And his D-lock stolen too.

“At first I felt panic, didn’t know what to do, but made my way home ok,” he said.  “Then I immediately came back to take a photo (see photo) and report it to the police.  Two days later I got an automated message saying sorry, there’s nothing they can do about it.  Now I’ve gone back to getting lifts to the station.

Phil, who grew up in Newport Pagnell, worked 18 years at The Open University and now lives in Shenley Lodge, is not the only one who has had their bicycle stolen from the bike racking outside the Station.  According to a survey in Mail Online, nearly 100 bicycles are stolen every year from that location, making Milton Keynes station the worst place to leave your bike in Britain.

“It’s really put me off,” said Phil.  “I don’t feel motivated to get a new bike, even a £25 bone shaker, because it seems they’ll steal any bike.”

Kurshida Mirza, High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, has pledged action to tackle the issue by organising a meeting between Thames Valley Police and Cycling Citizens MK alliance.  She made the pledge before setting off with more than 80 cyclists on a Unity ride through Central Milton Keynes led by MK Mayor Marie Bradburn.

Mayor Bradburn said: “During my Year of Cycling, it’s important we tackle all the issues which are putting people off cycling in MK,” said Mayor Marie.  “It’s unfair that MK residents are routinely being stolen from and nothing done to prevent it.  As first citizen of MK, I’m not going to stand by.  I pledge to help the High Sheriff by involving the Council as well as the police in putting a stop to the bike thefts from Station Square.”