Cyclists are being offered advice on how to stop thieves stealing their bikes at railway stations.

Police have issued these CCTV images of a suspect taking a bicycle at Crawley station.

This week The Argus reported cycle thefts had led to a surge in crime figures. There were 302 bikes stolen last year alone from stations in Sussex.

PC Jerry Isterling, of the British Transport Police, said: “Rail passengers are unfortunately being targeted by unscrupulous thieves who trawl cycle racks at stations for bikes to target.

“We re currently touring stations across Sussex to educate bike owners who use the railways of the need to adequately secure their property with good quality locks.”

British Transport Police officers are offering to fit free electronic tagging devices on bikes to make them easier to identify and give back to their original owners if they are stolen.

Cyclists are also being encouraged to keep a note of identification numbers and use solid locks.

Today police are visiting Worthing station to give advice to travellers before going on to Eastbourne station tomorrow. They plan to visit Brighton on May 11 and 12, Chichester on June 23 and Haywards Heath on July 2.

Crime reduction officers are being stationed near the cycle racks betwen 4pm and 7.30pm on each date.

For more information email LSR@ btp.pnn.police. uk. Anyone who can identify the man in the CCTV images is asked to contact BTP on 0800 405040 quoting background log B4 of 20/4/2009.