Bike owner says city has 'epidemic' of thefts

DATA REVEALS 195 CASES IN YEAR TO JULY, BUT ONLY ONE CHARGE

- By CARL EVE

A MOTORCYCLE owner has said police need to deal with what he has described as an “epidemic” of motorbike thefts across the city.

The Weston Mill resident - who has asked not to be identified - said his own powerful motorbike was targeted by a group of thieves just a day after he spotted a stolen bike dumped a short distance from his home.

He told The Herald that he knew through social media that a large number of bikes - usually scooters and small engine scrambler-type bikes - were being taken from Plymouth homes and then ridden around the city by youngsters, often without helmets.

He said: “On Monday afternoon I spotted a small red motorbike with a learner plate on it, up against a wall near my home. I called the police, suspecting it was stolen and they confirmed it.

“The owners turned up really happy and it turns out it'd been stolen the same day. I thought that was the end of it. Then on Tuesday, around 2am, I couldn’t sleep, worrying about my own motorbike.”

“Then I heard a scooter going up and down our road - youngish looking kid, no lights, no helmet, just wearing a balaclava on his head,’ he added.

“A bit later I saw three more young lads walking up and down - tall lad, dark clothing, a little lad with a baseball cap and another with a black and white stripe down the side of his trakkie bottoms. Not long afterwards my dog started growling so I knew they were approaching my place.