THEY say lightning never strikes twice – but for an unlucky student it seems to have struck thrice.

Elliott Nixon, of Barbourne, believes he might be “cursed” after having three bicycles stolen from Worcester in just two years.

He was left “feeling numb” when thieves pinched his £250 bike from Worcester Shrub Hill railway station this October, concluding the harrowing hat-trick of misfortune which began in 2012.

His first two bikes were stolen from Broad Street and bizarrely the crimes took place exactly a year apart.

The 21-year-old said: “After the first theft I was upset, angry and annoyed.

“By the third I was feeling numb, like a part of me had been taken, and I started pondering whether I am cursed.”

Mr Nixon, who is studying sport and exercise psychology at the University of Gloucestershire having completed an undergraduate degree in Worcester, now faces a nervous wait to see if his insurance company will pay out for his latest loss.

All of the bicycles were stolen despite being secured and the student has urged other cyclists to be wary of where they leave their machines and to use good quality locks.

Mr Nixon’s misfortune comes after official figures have revealed a rise in bike thefts in Worcester over recent months.

In December last year there were only nine bicycles taken in the city but in September 24 were stolen.

Thefts however have historically peaked in October, with a high of almost 80 in 2012 and just under 40 in 2013, caused by an influx of students into the city.

The statistics have been released by the Safer Worcester Partnership, a multi-agency initiative which aims to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the city.

It has security marked more than 400 bikes in the last year, especially in the hotspot Cathedral Ward where 50 per cent of all bicycle thefts occurred between April 2012 and July 2014.

Jude Langton, the community safety manager at Worcester City Council, which is part of the community safety partnership, said: “Many projects and people are encouraging members of the public to get healthy and reduce congestion in the city and use bikes.

“Bike thefts have risen because there are many more bikes in the city.

“Unfortunately people spend £200 to £500 on a bike and then get a cheap lock to secure it.”