Cycling in and around Birmingham England

Stolen Bike?

For the last few weeks there has been a Carrera MTB left unlocked behind the bins on our school site in Ladywood. It's basically a good bike. Probably 2008 model needing a little (but not much) TLC.

Having established that it doesn't belong to anyone connected to the school, and that the police weren't interested, our head concluded that it had been abandoned and was about to give it to the scrap man. Luckily I got in first as I couldnt bear to see a perfectly good bike get ground up.

Has anyone on this site any knowledge of someone having had a bike stolen before christmas? If so then send me the model and any identifying remarks then I'll get it to you. Otherwise, if no-one comes forward then I'll do it up and sell it to support our school playground fund.

Andy

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Permalink Reply by Richard D on January 7, 2012 at 22:12

I had a rear light nicked from the back of my bike shortly before Xmas.

Then some git car-jacked me the next day, so I had rather more to moan about than one small light.

Bike is now the only means of transport that I own, until the car insurers pay out. But it hasn't been nicked, yet, and in the current climate I'm even more paranoid about where and how I secure it.

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Permalink Reply by Robert on January 8, 2012 at 9:18

Sorry to hear that, Richard. I hope you yourself came out of it unscathed. Yesterday I locked my bike up near another one that was more desirable and less well secured, and removed the saddle. Whilst I was doing all this two blokes started hanging around taking a bit too much interest in the bikes for my liking. I watched them for five minutes from a distance, and then moved my bike. I'm sure they were innocent, but like you I prefer to be careful.

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Permalink Reply by LS on January 8, 2012 at 23:02

It's not Graham's stolen Carrera Subway 8 is it? Not MTB but it did have front suspension ... http://www.birminghamcyclist.com/photo/stolen-carrera-subway-8

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Permalink Reply by Tim Beasley on January 9, 2012 at 8:49

I would be careful before anyone "sells" the bike as you cannot sell somthing you don't own! It's a shame the police were not interested. I wonder if it is worth speaking to the cycling police officer from Steelhouse Lane about it as he would be likely to know how to check if the bike was reported as stolen. I think he was called PC Hand but I apologise to him if I have his name wrong. If no owner can be tracked down it's up to the Police what happens to it. They have procedures for disposal of lost property.

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Permalink Reply by Andy White on January 9, 2012 at 9:06

It's definitely not Graham's.

Yeah, I was really miffed that the police weren't at all interested. It's little wonder it's so difficult to get reunited with one's stolen property. But don't get me started coming over all disappointed with West Mids Police - you won't be able to stop me!

Frankly all police stations (and officers) should know the procedure for checking whether a bike is stolen. It shouldn't be down to one person within the force. But thanks for the contact Tim, I'll email Steelhouse Lane to see if they are able to track it.

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Permalink Reply by Andy White on January 15, 2012 at 19:24

No-one seems to know anything so I'll be handing it in to the local bobbies...

This from their website:

What happens to goods handed over to the police?

The usual practice is that the finder can have the goods back and keep them if they are not claimed within two months. However the police may want more time, if they suspect the goods are stolen or think that the owner can be traced

The owner of the goods can claim them back up to one year after they have been handed in. If the police return the goods to the finder, the finder must retain them until a year after they were first found. If the items are found by the Police they can be sold, or disposed of, which is at the discretion of the Chief Constable.