SECURITY around Bournemouth Hospital's bicycle storage area has been increased to prevent the theft of staff members' bikes.

A need for increased security was identified by Bournemouth Hospital Charity following a spate of bike thefts, leaving hospital staff without their means of transport.

Many members of staff have been cycling to work throughout the pandemic, only to later discover that their bike has been stolen.

The charity publicised the problem and the local Halfords provided free replacement bikes for those that had been stolen.

However, the risk of theft remained, so the charity applied to the Secure Communities Scheme for help.

Over 200 cycling locks have now been provided for staff through the scheme.

Bournemouth Hospital Charity fundraising manger, Karen Smith said: "A huge thank you to the Secure Communities Scheme for providing 250 locks for our staff.

"We are overwhelmed by the support we have seen and continue to receive from our local community. This is a brilliant donation for our incredible staff to help keep their bikes safe whilst they are busy caring for our loved ones during these difficult times. It's important to support our NHS heroes in any way we can and cycling to work is not only important for their physical health, but also their mental wellbeing."

Mark Pearson from Burg-Wächter, the company behind the Secure Communities Scheme, said: "We knew that communities would struggle to meet the unexpected cost of providing extra security during the restrictions, so we adapted our existing Secure Communities Scheme to reflect this need.

"We hope the Scheme’s support for Bournemouth Hospital through its charity will help to remove some of the stress hospital workers are currently dealing with."