Police officers have been out in a park this Sunday trying to prevent bicycles from being stolen and making them easier to track down.

The officers were at St Mary’s Park in Prestwich where they marked 24 bicycles in a matter of hours and say that further such events will be held in the near future.

They say that this can help make thefts less likely and make it easier for them to track down marked bikes if the are stolen.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “Prestwich officers have been busy in St Mary's Park this afternoon marking a total of 24 bikes in a two hour period.

“Watch this space for future events being held. security marking bikes deters would be thieves and helps reunite stolen bikes with their owners.”

The park is a popular area for cyclists, particularly at weekends.

This comes alongside other similar initiatives aimed at tackling and deferring bike theft across the borough of Bury and beyond.

Anyone concerns about bicycle theft or about other forms of crime or anti-social behaviour has been encouraged to contact police on 101 or 999 in the event of an emergency.

Alternatively, witnesses can contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.