Michael, I take your point about self-help but I do have a day job and we all know how uppity the Police get when a member of the public has a go. They may not be doing their job but don't you dare cross the picket line.

As I travel to work I regularly see the Police (in a group of 6 - 10) doing a systematic stop of motorists on Tower Bridge Road. Perhaps once in a while they could target bicycle theft. All they would need to do is train an existing CCTV camera at the station on a bike and wait for a call from the control room in a nearby van. They might also get a bonus arrest of a mugger. Simples.

Luckily my bike has never been stolen in the 20 odd years I have lived in the area but that is probably because I have always been able to adhere to the golden rule of never leaving it in a public space overnight.