A pair of thieves who tried to steal a bike in broad daylight, directly opposite a police station, have pleaded guilty to theft.
John Kent and John Hutchenson pleaded guilty to the offence, which occurred outside a police station in the City of London Police.
Footage shows the pair approach a bicycle by the police station, trying to break the lock.
Police arrested them both just a couple of minutes later after they failed to steal the bike.
Kent, 43, pleaded guilty to attempted theft of a pedal cycle, going equipped to steal and theft from a shop.
Hutchenson, 44, also pleaded guilty to attempted theft of a pedal cycle, going equipped to steal and theft from a shop.
The incident occurred on October 20, 2025, with the pair spotted on CCTV trying to break the lock on a bike.
The pair were apprehended in Bishopsgate, just opposite the City of London police station.
CCTV footage shows the pair trying to break the lock
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Police Constable Sibyl Beaumont, City of London Police, said: "These thieves foolishly believed they could steal a bike outside a police station, when we have officers on patrol and we have the City of London's extensive camera network, and we caught them red-handed.
"Officers responded immediately to apprehend the culprits.
"There are ways to make your bike harder to target by thieves or help return it to you if it is stolen, such as using a thick D lock, getting your bike marked or taking removable parts with you."
Approximately 20,000 to 25,000 bikes are reported stolen in London every year.
Figures suggest that the number of bike thefts is on the decline, but there is still an annual crime rate of 1.7 crimes per 1,000 people.
In November 2022, only one per cent of bike thefts in the capital resulted in a charge or caution, according to Met Police data.
London Cycling Campaign said it was "not good for the city" and would "deter people from cycling".
The Met said that due to the number of calls, it was not possible to carry out a lengthy investigation in every case.
Police arrested the pair within a couple of minutes
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Senior policy officer at London Cycling Campaign, Tom Bogdanowicz, said the true number of crimes is "significantly higher".
He said: "It's not good for the city, because if there's less cycling then there are more emissions from cars, more congestion, and people's health isn't improving.
"Building cycling infrastructure is an excellent way of encouraging cycling, but if people have their bikes stolen, then you lose customers."
The Met said in a statement that it understood thefts were "upsetting and very frustrating for victims," but noted: "It is not possible to physically send officers, or to carry out a lengthy investigation, in every case."