Sorted - Bike stolen from University of Birmingham

[jollytiddlywink]

My bike was stolen during the day on 16 January from inside a locked shed. It is a men's Giant Rock mountain bike, metallic grey with small red, white and black stripes, with front shocks, 21 gears, front and rear mud-guards, a small black bell, and two mountings for lights (but not the lights themselves) on the seatpost, and another two mountings at the front, one on the handlebars and one below them. I have reported the theft to the police and am checking Ebay, etc, to see if it appears. It is also listed on stolen-bikes.co.uk

I'm offering 50 pounds to anyone who finds it or helps me get it back.

I do not (I know! I'm kicking myself) have the full serial number, but what I can glean from a few photos of the bike is ...0519160

[jollytiddlywink]

This one has a happy ending. I've now got the bike back, apparently none the worse for wear, after I happened to walk past a bike rack at which it was locked up this afternoon! I didn't take matters into my own hands, but called the police, who at length came round, confirmed it was mine, and cut it free so I could bring it back home.

[maxcherry]

Blooming eck! You are lucky.
Shame you never got a chance to talk to the new rider.

What type of lock did you use? worried about my bike.

[incanite]

HI,
fellow very concerned UoB bike bin user here.. which bin area was this? how did they get in? did they cut the campus supplied lock?
did you lock your bike inside as well?

I used to park my bike at met & mat. we caught someone trying to cut my lock (abus bordo 8500), they failed and ran off and then nicked someone elses bike.
We got campus security to catch them, amazing!!!

here is the sad thing. the police did not care. they were very good intially, they took statements and even took my lock as evidence. a few hours later they release the thieves without charge, due to 'insufficient evidence'. - we caught them, had witnesses etc, they simply couldnt be buttocked to book them. my understanding is the cps applied a 'thresholding' system so 'petty' crimes such as bike theft are unpunished as it is expensive to prosecute. The police said they would only prosecute if it was on video. turns out the cameras surrounding met and mat do not work. security think it is met and mats job to operate them, met and mat say otherwise. for the other bikes, security did have some footage, however the police could not be bothered to look at it.

Now I use a bin, but you have scared me of that too.. looks like the only remaining defence is insurance.