Police in the Lower Hutt suburb of Eastbourne have unveiled a free bike scheme to reduce the number of bicycle thefts in the region.

Eastbourne Community Constable Anthony Harmer says the seaside community has been plagued with thefts, especially during summer. But he says rather than disappearing for good, the bikes have been used by opportunists to get from A to B, then dumped.

Mr Harmer says that has prompted him to introduce a new scheme where bikes are available to pick up and drop off at several points around the bays, free of charge. He says he will have to wait until summer to gauge the true impact, but he has noticed a definite drop in the number of bikes being handed into the police station.