Thanks to persistent campaigning by the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI), motorcycles and commercial vehicles will be included in the proposed Vehicle Identity Check Scheme (VIC) when the Department for Transport's new initiative comes up for review in 2004.

Frank Finch, motorcycle retailers director for the RMI said: 'We are pleased that the DfT has recognised the scale of ringing in our industry and will be reviewing the Scheme after the first year of operation at which point we would expect motorcycles to be included.'

From the early stages of the consultation on the initiative, the RMI had campaigned for the eventual addition of bikes and trucks to the VIC scheme, which will initially cover only cars and light vehicles. The Department for Transport says that it hopes to include these other classes of vehicle from next year.

VIC is intended to help cut down on the practice of ringing or cloning, where criminals swap the identity of a vehicle they have stolen with that of a written off or scrapped vehicle. They apply for a duplicate of the vehicle registration document for the write-off, and use it to disguise the stolen vehicle's origins.

The theft of trucks and bikes is as common as that of cars. According to the Metropolitan Police Stolen Vehicle Unit, last year 1,097 heavy goods vehicles were reported stolen. Of that number 966 were never recovered.

A large number of bikes are also taken, with up to a fifth being ringed. Dr Ken German of the Metropolitan Police Stolen Car squad explains: 'Industry estimates are that around 24,000 bikes are stolen each year of which 14,000 are scooters. Of the remaining 10,000 motorcycles, which are the prime targets for ringing, it is estimated that 80% are broken for parts - many of which will be used in the assembly of ringed bikes - with 20% being directly ringed.'

The Vehicle Identity Check Scheme is expected to come into force in spring 2003.