A bike shop is selling a bike I had stolen a month or so back its nothing amazing but its my dads only means of transport within an hour of it being nicked both bike shops in the area were informed to keep a lookout for it if it turns up and a week ago I walked past one of them and its there in the window for £60 but they won't give him it back because they've put different brakes on it because the original were "crap" and wanted the police to get involved before anything happens the police have been informed twice and contacted another two times since to see what's happening but they couldn't give a toss what are we supposed to do or do I get it...
?
Go in, take the brakes off, wheel it out. Phone thr police when you're there and tell them what you are doing.
Has to be the police - sorry! Try to find out if there is any officer at all, with the remotest interest in bikes on your local force.
Otherwise, you'll just have to keep ringing them, insisting they act, until you become too much of a PITA to ignore.
Phone them while in the shop and tell them your recovering your stolen property
And name and shame the shop on here for selling stolen bikes...
For a start, if you spoken to them and asked nicely for you bike back,and they are knowingly selling stolen goods, start by naming and shaming here?
Crap situation, hopefully someone will post some way of kicking the police up the arse to actually do something to help.
tell the local press
Get a mate to ask to have a look at it, and test ride it if possible.
Then just get him to ride off with it, doing a one handed wheelie, while waving at the bloke from the shop.
can you prove it is your dads bike? that's the important bit.
assuming you can, police, local press, make yourself a nuisance.
I'd be going into that shop and covering my bike in some great big locks for a kick off. Stop them selling it.
what shop, its not a small one in Headingley, is it?
Make a formal complaint to the police. If you've contacted them 4 times to tell them it's there and they haven't done anything yet, then complain. To an Inspector or above.
Playing devils advocate, they have said they won't do anything without the police involved which I don't think is unreasonable. If they have taken it off sale and are still awaiting notification from the police I think this is fair.
I would perhaps call the police whilst stood in the shop with the bike and explain the score, see what they suggest you do.
Don't suppose you've got the frame number?
Phone the police and tell them that in 30 minutes you are going to the shop to reclaim your stolen bike using whatever force is necessary. You can guarantee there will 10 officers there waiting for you when you arrive.
Seriously I would ask to speak to someone more senior and tell them that you will be writing to your MP, the Chief Constable, the local press and the chairman of the Police Authority to inform them of their ineptitude and disinterest in dealing with a crime. You will probably get a call back in no time.
Also go to the bike shop and take photo's of the bike in their shop.
Given that the shop had been warned of the theft prior to buying it and trying to sell it on, they are surely blatantly handling stolen goods.
what about buying it and then taking them to the small claims court for the £60?
Its cyclerecycle in hebden bridge essentially arnt they handling stolen goods? And vandalising my property?
arnt they handling stolen goods?
They may well have bought it in good faith. Just cos you told them to look out for it doesn't mean that news got passed to the Saturday boy who stumped up the cash for it to the thieving scum.
However once notified that it's yours, they should take it off sale pending resolution from the police. The shop are probably just trying to protect their investment so until you can show up with proof that it's your bike they're probably not being *that* unreasonable. But they should still take it off sale even if they don't just hand it back saying "here you go, sorry about that"
Yes they are handling stolen goods.
And now you have told them about it, they can't say they didn't know anything (although that's no excuse really anyway)
As mentioned above, Complain to someone more senior at your local nick.
Tell them you will be contacting the local press, local MP and the IPCC if they don't act on your complaint.
Also tell the bike shop the same. (the local press bit may make them think again ?)
Don't second hand shops have to get a copy of passport/driving licence etc from the person they buy goods from, and check stolen goods lists??
That's very active recycling if someone has nicked a bike in order to donate it to them.
http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/npt/area.asp?id=111
This has a named inspector on your neighbourhood policing team. That might be your best tack rather than just calling the station.
You just missed the golden opportunity though...
"Surgery at Hebden Bridge Library
A new surgery/drop in has been set up at the library in Hope Street. Please call in on Friday, 16 December 2011 (and each Friday after that) between 10 – 11 am where you can speak to your local Officers. "
Shame that there is no telephone number of their website!!!
Remember to avoid any assault but do take a video and post the next conversation!!!
you've got to wonder what's going on here haven't you... i mean we're getting one side of a story via a forum. the business concerned recycles bikes, they even have a link to the west yorkshire police on their site...
http://www.cyclerecycle.org.uk/index.php?id=1
They may well have bought it in good faith. Just cos you told them to look out for it doesn't mean that news got passed to the Saturday boy who stumped up the cash for it to the thieving scum.However once notified that it's yours, they should take it off sale pending resolution from the police. The shop are probably just trying to protect their investment so until you can show up with proof that it's your bike they're probably not being *that* unreasonable. But they should still take it off sale even if they don't just hand it back saying "here you go, sorry about that"
This ^ Anybody else spouting crap about just take it, etc. etc. is just nonsense, go to the police explain the situation, don't take the law into your own hands.....
Isn't Ben at Cycle Recycle a mate of a few at STW Towers?
Maybe they can help.
They're a not-for-profit, AFAIK they sell the bikes just to fund the efforts to keep serviceable bikes out of landfill and give folks who're short of a skill the chance to gain spannering work experience and qualifications. Also, AFAIK they don't buy bikes, they just recondition donated wrecks.
...Maybe your theif realised the bike wasn't worth much and dumped it, someone found it and gave it to a good cause?
Who did you speak to there? Not everyone will necessarily have all the info or be in a sufficient position of authority to feel like they can sort this out to both your satisfaction...
Edit: Yep, Ninja, Ben is a top bloke and the guy to speak to at CycleRecycle to get anything done! - I can't believe he'd not get this resolved.
I know Ben who runs cyclerecycle and im 100% sure he wont knowingly sell stolen bikes!
Not condoning the theft and selling of stolen bikes but is there not a middle ground here some where. I cant see that they are doing this for profit and have unwittingly become victims themselves. The fact that they have got your dads old bike back and it has been worked on may be worth something I would have thought.
Don't get me wrong I would be hacked off in your shoes as well but I reckon a deal could easily be agreed.
It would be nice though if the person who "donated it" could be traced.
Edit: Yep, Ninja, Ben is a top bloke and the guy to speak to at CycleRecycle to get anything done! - I can't believe he'd not get this resolved.
I know Ben who runs cyclerecycle and im 100% sure he wont knowingly sell stolen bikes!
^Agreed
If you can prove it's your dads bike.
How about offering to pay for the brake upgrade, and take the bike back.
That way they are not out of pocket (if they don't buy the bikes) and your dad has a safer bike.
you want the bike back? easy!
Its their busiest time of year so get yourself down there tommorow morning, stand on the pavement right outside.
Then while not blocking the entrance tell everyone who even looks at the shop that they sell stolen bikes and point ouy your dads bike.
I bet you get the bike back complete with a complimentary set of new brakes within about 2 hours!
sorted
How about offering to pay for the brake upgrade, and take the bike back.
as much as i like bike recycling projects (i've volunteered in one for a few months whilst out of work), there's no way i would 'pay' to get my bike back, regardless of where its from and what its had done to it.
he didn't ask for it to be stolen, and didn't ask for the 'crap' brakes to be upgraded...
(all this is assuming it can be proved to be his, of course)
This ^ Anybody else spouting crap about just take it, etc. etc. is just nonsense, go to the police explain the situation, don't take the law into your own hands.....
Having said that when I phoned the local police station in the past on a similar issue, they said if you see your bike you can use reasonable force to recover it.
[b]they won't give him it back[/b] because they've put different brakes on it because the original were "crap" [b]and wanted the police to get involved before anything happens[/b]
I think the keyboard warriors are missing something here, even the shop want the police involved according to the OP, it sounds to me like they are victims too. If they had bought a known stolen bike would they want the police involved??
If the shop are prepared to not sell the bike while the situation is sorted fine - then go down that road. If they won't then I think going and putting a serious lock or two on it to stop it being sold is fine.
You are going to have to badger the police into acting tho I think
If you have proof it's your Da's bike (frame # or photos) then you should go round and take it off them, brakes and all. They've fked up (badly), you can prove it, end of story and let's all get on with our lives.
If you can't unequivocally show them evidence that the bike is yours then you have to see things from their pov - they can't have strangers turning up and hauling bikes out of their shop just like that. Due process, polis, shop owner etc etc.
ETA - This happened to a neighbour in my stair - saw his stolen bike in a second hand shop (not a recycling-type place). He did actually pay them for the new gears they put on it and they left it at that. Very meek of him IMO, as his bike was nicked by a serial thief (who got caught, subsequently) and it's almost impossible to see how the shop could be selling that in good faith.
Where was it stolen from? It's difficult to tell from your post but is it a sort of pub bike that has been left lying around Hebden rusting away and someone has donated it to cycle recycle for them to do up? Wasn't sure if your 'but its my dads only means of transport' was supposed to pull at the heart strings a bit? Is it you bike or his? If it was actually taken in a break in I'm sure the police would be a bit more interested?
I've dropped off one of my bf's old frames at Cyclerecycle and they make you fill in a provenance form so I don't think they'd do anything deliberately dodgy.
Not sure how you get the police to investigate further though. I'd go to the Hebden Bridge News if you've not had any joy from them...
Phone the police and tell them that in 30 minutes you are going to the shop to reclaim your stolen bike using whatever force is necessary. You can guarantee there will 10 officers there waiting for you when you arrive.
Don't do this, you'll look and sound a prat. Besides which, I'm fairly certain that Hebden Bridge won't have 10 officers free; they'll likely send a PCSO who has limited knowledge of S.22 of the theft act.
Seriously I would ask to speak to someone more senior and tell them that you will be writing to your MP, the Chief Constable, the local press and the chairman of the Police Authority to inform them of their ineptitude and disinterest in dealing with a crime. You will probably get a call back in no time.
Or, phone the Police and tell them that the bike you previously reported as stolen has turned up at a local charity shop. They will then update the original incident, update the Officer in the Case, or create a new incident for someone else to have a look at. This might not be within 30 minutes like some people expect, but hey, nobody's dying so its not that urgent. The Police, with dwindling resources, have to prioritise just like any other organisation. As a tax payer, we should all be thankful this happens; it means some Police remain available for serious and life threatening incidents.
.Also go to the bike shop and take photo's of the bike in their shop.
Do this if you like but your word and proof of ownership are enough.
Given that the shop had been warned of the theft prior to buying it and trying to sell it on, they are surely blatantly handling stolen goods.
No not really. Try to look at this from a common sense perspective (which, if you were in the shoes of the bike shop owner you'd want); unless this bike is quite unique, and unless the shop was given photos, frame numbers etc. It is quite conceiveable that its 'just another old bike' they've been given by someone to re-cycle. If Taka told them a month ago about its theft, and unless it is unique, and depending on who they told, its a bit of a stretch for the shop to be held accountable.
Yes, the owner could be arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, but the Police/CPS would have to demonstrate that the bike shop "knew or believed" it to be stolen, and still received or retained, or tried to sell it with this knowledge. In this case this would need a full and frank confession from the shop owner - do you think this will happen?
Is it [b]legal[/b] to arrest the shop owner? Yes, the Police have suspicion that he is handling stolen goods.
Is it [b]reasonable[/b] to arrest a charity shop owner? Possibly - do you think he's going to abscond on the proceeds? Ok, possibly not.
Is it [b]neccessary[/b] to arrest him, or can it be dealt with in a different manner? Erm, of course its not neccessary; the Police speaking to him will likely get to the bottom of it and may even point to the actual thieves.
Oi Mildred - we want you to go round there and sort it out in full on Sweeney style!
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3200/2961407449_607c519f7b_m.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart166axe/2961407449/ ]The Sweeney.[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuart166axe/ ]Stuart Axe[/url], on Flickr
theprawn
HE HAS RETURNED!
get me Piers Morgan on the phone.
I have spoken to Ben, the manager of Cycle Recycle. He has contacted the police himself to inform them of the situation and if the bike is proved to be the one in question, he will happily return it to it right full owner.
He is running a fantastic project which is helping keep bikes out of land fill, give people employment/skills and provide people with a low cost way of getting into the enjoyment of biking. He has worked endlessly to build a strong reputation and it would be wrong if an ill informed website forum thread destroyed that reputation
Mildred - my comment was a joke, hence why the next comment started 'Seriously'. 🙄
I understood from reading the thread that the police have been contacted 4 times already.
I'd think it unlikely that there are so many emergencies in Hebden Bridge that someone from the Community team doesn't have time to pop down.
have you considered throwing a shoe at him?
I remember years ago there was a well known bikeshop in Huddersfield where the owner drove Porsche/M5's etc and they were nicked/closed down for fencing on stolen bikes.
Seems daft as I bet they would have made a pretty penny selling legit.
It seems taka seems to have issues with Cycle Recycle, i hope he really has had a bike stolen and isn't just trying to tarnish their reputation. I hope to be proved wrong but if not how low life a scumbag do you have to be to bad mouth a charity? 👿
[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/cycle-recycle-hebden-bridge ]Nasty trick to pull[/url]
In the meantime, if the bike wasn't too expensive, and the OP's dad really needed it - why not just go and buy it back, you're supporting a charity, getting a brake upgrade, saving police resources, saving yourself time... You have to be pretty happy that it's turned up at all. See if they sell locks too.
Or report them for trading standards as the specification is unlikey to mention "stolen"
bike shop is selling a bike I had stolen a month or so back its nothing amazing but its my dads only means of transport within an hour of it being nicked both bike shops in the area were informed to keep a lookout for it if it turns up and a week ago I walked past one of them and its there in the window for £60 but they won't give him it back because they've put different brakes on it because the original were "crap" and wanted the police to get involved before anything happens the police have been informed twice and contacted another two times since to see what's happening but they couldn't give a toss what are we supposed to do or do I get it...
The real issue here is punctuation.
It seems taka seems to have issues with Cycle Recycle, i hope he really has had a bike stolen and isn't just trying to tarnish their reputation. I hope to be proved wrong but if not how low life a scumbag do you have to be to bad mouth a charity?
I sincerely hope that you are entirely wrong.
If that was my bike, which admittedly is worth considerably more, nothing, and I mean nothing, would stop me from getting it back. They (the staff) would literally bounce off me as I took it out of the window and out of the shop.
What's the legal position on wandering/marching/swaggering/strutting/sidleing in and taking your bike out of their window?
What's the legal position on wandering/marching/swaggering/strutting/sidleing in and taking your bike out of their window?
Well surely you can't be charged with stealing your own bike.
Aye, but is the a "proper" legal process to go through?
[img] http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0iD35VNekmXC_O92we9I2x9tYn9DgQ9AoPH5EgoIx7mJZrVxL [/img]
Take it on a very long test ride...
I have spoken to Ben, the manager of Cycle Recycle. He has contacted the police himself to inform them of the situation and if the bike is proved to be the one in question, he will happily return it to it right full owner.
End of story?
End of story?
do you wear a scream mask and do press ups?
I don't think the shop owner has any right to hold on to it.
The stupid thing is he took it in there for a gel saddle to be put on how much more do they want...
I have spoken to Ben, the manager of Cycle Recycle. He has contacted the police himself to inform them of the situation and if the bike is proved to be the one in question, he will happily return it to it right full owner.
Taka - it might be worth commenting on the more saliant points like the above. If you just keep having a pop, you are going to come across as a right cock.
taka - Member
The stupid thing is he took it in there for a gel saddle to be put on how much more do they want...
Who took it in to the shop for a gel saddle to be put on? Your dad / the thief?
Prawn - yes indeed!! (but have got a bit bored with rip off 'tri - but with mtb prices these days, I might be on Fellrunners forums soon!!). I wondered if you were that prawn!! Going to try MTB racing/AR/Trail quests/XTT tris in 2012 for a change plus usual ultra maras. Just learning the skills (painfully) at the moment on good old Trek hardtail.
Ditto Cougar - is he from Rimmers World?
Sorry for the hijack BTW!!
Taka - it might be worth commenting on the more saliant points like the above. If you just keep having a pop, you are going to come across as a right cock.
It's all gone a bit quiet...we are waiting for your comments Taka....
I'm getting more and more confused. Is Taka drunk?
Slap a big sign on their window saying "GREAT XMAS DEALS ON STOLEN BIKES"
right got more info from the old man..
the bike was chained up behind his house for 2 days while we moved things about inside, when we came to put it back in it had gone, within a few hours he had gone into blazing saddles and cycle recycle to tell them if they see his bike to contact him, it wasn't hard to miss as cycle re cycle had put a big gel saddle on it for him a month earlier and a within the last week he was walking past cycle re cycle and there was his bike for sale for £60 with different brakes he went and told them it was his which he had previously asked them to contact him if it turned up and they said it was donated by someone and they had put new brakes on it because the originals were crap he then went to the police and reported it they gave him an incident number and said they would ring him back which they didn't so he rang again still the same thing...
If you express yourself in person as well as you do on t'internet, I'm not suprised they don't just hand over their stock to you.
Prove it's your old feller's, and that's the end of it. It looks like you would rather rant on than do that. According to Benson247 above, Plod are involved.
Now put up, or shut up.
As much as if I had my bike nicked and I saw a shop selling it, I certaintly wouldn't expect them to hand it over as I walked in and said "oh that's mine". As for the non-response from the police, it will be about priorities and that job will be sat in a PC's tray and he probably isn't on duty which is why you haven't had a reply (just a guess maybe completely off the mark).
Prawn - yes indeed!! (but have got a bit bored with rip off 'tri - but with mtb prices these days, I might be on Fellrunners forums soon!!). I wondered if you were that prawn!! Going to try MTB racing/AR/Trail quests/XTT tris in 2012 for a change plus usual ultra maras. Just learning the skills (painfully) at the moment on good old Trek hardtail.
get yourself to one of the ukbikeskills group sessions, you'll enjoy it.
man walks into charity bike shop and says "thats my bike, i want it back"
manager says "i'll contact the police and get it sorted"
all seems reasonable
Man walks into charity bike shops and says "please keep your eyes peeled for my stolen bike, the one you've already worked on but here are the details"
manager ignores the request and tries flogging said stolen bike.
Man walks into charity bike shops and says "please keep your eyes peeled for my stolen bike, the one which is pretty generic and not all that easy to identify, with a generic very common new saddle you put on (but which is doubtless on lots of other bikes)"
manager can't sell any bikes because all of the ones which come in match the description
Haven't read the full thread but......
Was the original theft reported to Plod?
If not then I can sort of understand why they may not be that interested?
Sounds like the original thread was not reported?
If the bike shop have bought the bike in good faith, and paid a reasonable price, they may have. A civil claim, as they may be classed as innocent purchasers
If they are trading in 2nd hand goods they are required by the local council to keep a log of all transactions, and list the details of the people they have bought items from,so the police should be able to go round and find out who they bought the bike from.
Surely all STW threads get reported to the police eventually
I think that the shop took in the bike as a donation. From what I can see on their web page,> http://www.cyclerecycle.org.uk/index.php?id=1
, they do not buy in bikes. Not sure what happens then about recording the details of who gave them the bike.
Ben from Cycle:recycle has sent us the following statement regarding
this thread:
"Cycle:recycle are aware of the situation regarding Taka's father's
bike which was brought to us as a donation after being seen lying
around on the tow-path near the shop for 3 weeks. We got the police
involved and they are now dealing with the matter, so discussion on a
public forum is not appropriate."
We've closed the thread at his request.