ride their cycles with personal items such as handbags or knapsacks in their rear baskets after three women were robbed over the weekend.

A female visitor lost her handbag containing personal items when two men on another cycle rode up beside her and grabbed it.

The woman was riding a rented cycle through Blackwatch Pass on North Shore Road last Friday around 3 p.m. Her husband and daughter were on another cycle in front of her when the incident took place.

In another occurrence later the same day, a second visitor discovered that her handbag had been stolen as she was riding along Cobbs Hill Road in Warwick.

She told Police that around 10.40 p.m. she received what felt like a bump and thought that another motorist had struck her from behind.

On reaching home she discovered that her handbag with money and personal belongings had been taken.

In a third separate incident on Saturday morning a Cobbs Hill resident was the victim of a handbag snatching.

She was riding her cycle west on Middle Road near the junction with Manse Road when she saw a motorcyclist without lights approach her. The other motorcyclist did not overtake.

When she reached home, she discovered that her knapsack that contained cash and personal items, had been stolen from the cycle basket.

Sgt. Chris Wilcox of the Police Community and Media Relations department said: "Women cyclists in particular are reminded not to ride their cycles with their handbags in their cycle baskets.

"And they should be wary of other cyclists who, after dark, approach them from behind without lights.''