AN innovative CCTV scheme has led to a fall in thefts at Oxford Train Station.

British Transport Police (BTP) recorded only 18 thefts in 2014 compared to nearly double the previous year.

Officers have designated colour-coded areas across the station over which they step up camera surveillance in a bid to catch thieves.

Sgt Steve Reay said bike thefts used to be a major problem at the station until they changed tack.

He said: “With a better use of CCTV it has fallen quite significantly. Cameras have been very useful in capturing offenders in the act.”

Officers have identified how susceptible to theft various areas of the station are. For example, if the station’s ‘purple zone’ sees a spike in thefts compared to other areas, the cameras will be moved to focus more on that zone.

BTP PCSO Paul Phillips said: “About two years ago we introduced a colour coordinated system of different zones.

“It has helped people locate their bikes and has also meant that we can identify hotspots and tweak the cameras.”

He added: “Just last week we caught a bike thief using the cameras.

“We regularly review the activity of the bike racks not just after reports of theft but also for intelligence.

“Thefts have significantly dropped and it is really moving forward.”

Mr Phillips said BTP and train station staff now undertake culls of up to 50 bikes two to three times a year.

He said: “The station can hold between 400 and 500 bikes so we need to do a bit of a cull.

“We are planning a cull soon and we estimate there will be around 50 bikes.

“Most of them will be for scrap but there are some reasonable bikes.”

Abandoned bikes are marked up and need to be reclaimed within a month.

After that the bikes are picked up by local organisations such as Crisis Skylight Oxford to be donated to the community.

Train station manager Kevin Knight said his staff had noticed a difference in reported thefts.

He said: “From our point of view there has been a change in the amount of reports being made to us.

“We would get probably about six or seven reports a week.

“We are definitely a lot better off now the cameras and coloured zones are working very well.”

A new bike register scheme, under which each bike is given a unique registration number, has also improved the likelihood of stolen bikes being returned to their owners.

BTP staff will be setting up registration numbers for cyclists at Oxford station on May 6 between 5pm and 7pm as well as providing advice.