A cyclist found his stolen £1,000 Nukeproof bike for sale on Gumtree and Facebook but says police would not help him get it back.
https://twitter.com/kitcatheuston/status/900641086561021952
Matthew Kennedy, 30, a charity cyclist, of Ashley Road, Droylsden, reported his bike stolen to police in the hope it would be retrieved as it was registered on the police data base.The bike was stolen from an electronically protected security door in Castleway Clifton, where Mr Kennedy was visiting.
The cost of putting a bike onto the police data base was £45.
Registering a bike on a police data base The National Cycle Database claims it increases chances of retrieval. The database supplies you with security marketing kits which will in theory warn off thieves as theyll be aware it is on the police database.
— Catherine Heuston (@Kitcatheuston) August 24, 2017
Mr Kennedy believes “It was a waste of money, the police told me to call 101 for updates and I was fobbed off with it not being a priority.”
Mr Kennedy recently completed a race from Salford Quays to Blackpool for The Christies charity.
“I cycle a lot it just angers me. I work for what i’ve got and I used that bike to get to work. It just seems pointless to me to have a registered bike if the police can’t do anything about it when it’s stolen.”
GMP Manchester Police Facebook page advised “If property stolen has been found online then it should be reported to 101”.
Mr Kennedy sought out the perpetrator on both Gumtree and facebook. He obtained the persons address,phone number and an image of the bike showing a scratched registration number.
“You could still see my registration number despite it being tampered with.” Mr Kennedy explained.
Mr Kennedy returned to police with the phone number. He was then told it was not a high priority and was unlikely to be obtained by police.
A FOI request made back in 2008 about bike theft in Manchester found that in that year alone 4,682 bikes were reported stolen. Unfortunately the number of bikes returned to complainants was not disclosed in the FOI as the police said it would have taken 18 hours of police work and cost £450 to determine.
Mr Kennedy said: “The police man I spoke to in Swinton Police station advised I approach the person and that police could only intervene if a dispute broke out.”
GMP are prevented from following up the address given by Mr Kennedy due to data protection Laws. Without a warrant they cannot legally retrieve Mr Kennedy’s bike.
Gumtree and Facebook are the two sites Mr Kennedy saw his bike advertised for sale. Gumtree advises that if you suspect your stolen item is advertised then you should report it to the website and the police.
If you think you may have purchased a stolen bike Citizens Advice suggests you approach the seller for a refund stating: “The police have confirmed that the item was stolen. I’m entitled to a full refund under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.”
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