Police and insurance companies are taking action to try to stem the rise in electric bike thefts, broadcaster Nos says on Monday.

Professional gangs are making the most of the rising popularity of e-bikes, the broadcaster says. No exact figures are available, but an estimated 25,000 were taken last year. There are some 1.3 million electric bikes in the Netherlands.

Insurance companies paid out at least €10.5m last year to compensate owners whose bikes were stolen, a rise of 20% on 2014.

Police are planning to use more decoy bikes fitted with tracking devices in an attempt to find out where the bikes eventually end up.