Oxford MP Layla Moran ‘staggered’ as bike stolen in CCTV ‘blackspot’

The Oxford West and Abingdon MP locked her bike close to The Plain roundabout on Friday night and visited The Cape of Good Hope pub for about half an hour.

When she returned, her bike, a black Pakyak E+ with a baby carrier on the back. was gone, despite being secured with a Diamond grade lock.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire MP ‘gutted’ after electric bike is stolen

The MP contacted police and was astonished to discover there was no CCTV coverage in the area because the cameras are currently non-operational.

Ms Moran said she was informed the CCTV cameras in and around The Plain, St Clement’s and Cowley Road had been ‘non-operational’ for 18 months.

Oxford is a CCTV blackspot, according to the MP, with just 53 cameras per 100,000 people, and a 2025 Get Licensed investigation named it among the worst cities in the UK for CCTV coverage. 

The Cape of Good Hope pub at The Plain (Image: Oxford Mail)

She said: “I was staggered to find that not only is CCTV coverage in our city centre so low, but that many in critical areas have been non-operational for 

 “Having my bicycle stolen was gutting, but sadly it is an experience that is shared all too often by residents in Oxford. What is worse is that nothing can be done in so many of these cases because of a lack of CCTV. 

 “I will continue to work with local leaders to improve CCTV coverage, especially in areas known to have problems with cycle theft, as well as building more secure cycle lockups in the city.”

Layla Moran (Image: Contributed)

Ms Moran has written to Thames Valley Police and the city council requesting more information on the number and operational status of CCTV cameras in the city, and requested they set out plans to improve the CCTV network in the city. 

The bicycle theft incident struck a chord with the community, with the MP’s post about the incident viewed 170,000 times, and numerous residents commenting with their own experiences of bike crime in Oxford. 

The Oxford West and Abingdon MP has also been campaigning for better cycling infrastructure in Oxford, including secure bike storage.

This year she and Liberal Democrat colleagues have pushed for changes to the railway bill to improve safe cycle storage at railway stations, where bikes are often taken.

Oxford is also consistently ranked as one of the worst cities for bike crime in the UK, coming second last year with 6.7 thefts per 1000 people annually.

But it also has a poor record of solving these crimes, with just 4.3% of cases resulting in a positive outcome in the last three years. 

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “Work is currently being undertaken on some of the CCTV cameras in Oxford as part of the transfer of ownership to Thames Valley CCTV Partnership. 

“Some cameras and equipment need to be relocated, and engineers have had to carry out extensive surveys to find suitable locations and ensure the system works properly. 

“While this work is ongoing, Thames Valley Police continues to investigate reported offences and use a range of tools, including CCTV from surrounding areas, businesses and residents.  

“We understand the concerns of residents and victims of crime and are working closely with partners to support the return of the system to full operational capability as soon as possible. 

“The work being undertaken through the Thames Valley CCTV Partnership will not only improve the resilience and effectiveness of the CCTV network but will also help ensure the long-term security of CCTV coverage across Thames Valley.”

The city council has also been asked to comment.