Bike lock uses CCTV in theft fight

[admin]

Cyclists at the University of Portsmouth are benefiting from a revolutionary new lock that uses text messaging and CCTV to catch bike thieves in the act.

Dreamt up by PC Dave Fairbrother, who works at the university, the system requires cyclists to send a text message to a security office each time they lock or unlock their bike.

Then, when a motion sensor in the specially-designed lock is disturbed by a thief trying to make off with the bike – or parts of it – a silent alarm is triggered that asks Big Brother for help.

The nearest CCTV camera will be instructed to turn to face the bike, filming the perpetrator in the act. Images automatically flash up onscreen in a nearby control room, giving guards on the ground a chance to catch up with the crook.