Audacious bike thieves in and around Essex

Wicky

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 12, 2014
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Colchester, Essex
www.jhepburn.co.uk
Gang of thieves ride out of Cycle Revolution on £3,500 bicycle

HOSTILE thieves threatened staff members before making their getaway on a £3,500 electric bike.

Three crooks went into Cycle Revolution in Peartree Road, Stanway, and two of them caught the attention of staff by immediately removing bikes from the stands.

When sales manager John Selby approached the pair they became aggressive and threatened him with violence.

The third thief then tried to distract sales assistant and former police officer Graham Snelling by swearing at him and accusing him of racism.

When Mr Snelling told him to leave, the thieves - who all spoke with heavy Irish accents - left with one riding the electric bike

Mr Selby said: ”I thought about trying to stop them but I thought it might have made things a lot worse.

“It felt as if they were there to try to steal two or three bikes rather than just one.

“If I had stepped in further I might have been on the end of a kicking.

“It was not worth the risk.

“But it was pretty scary.

“I have been here 16 years and we have had bikes stolen before but never with this kind of aggression.”

Seconds after the raid, a lorry driver came into the store saying he had nearly run over the the group as one rode out into the street outside.

They were then spotted bundling the bike into the back of a silver Vauxhall Corsa by employees from construction firm Cadman who were nearby.

Someone attempted to block the car from leaving but the thieves drove on the pavement to escape.

Mr Selby said he didn’t think they knew how to work the electric bike.

He said: “It has a motor and a battery but you have to turn it on and pedal to get the power.

“Without it you are just trying to move a massively heavy bike without any assistance.”

Mr Snelling said he had not experienced that level of abuse from anyone since leaving the force.

He said: “I was a police officer for 30 years and have seen and heard some things when I was doing that job.

“But it is so unusual in this sort of environment.

“You get the odd customer who is unhappy or unpleasant but you don’t expect that.

“It was clear they were well up for a fight if it came to it.”

On the same day of the incident on June 28, two high end bikes were stolen from the firm’s store in Chelmsford but later recovered.

Thieves also targeted a bike shop at the Lakeside Shopping Centre.

Witnesses should contact Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
 

peter.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2018
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thurrock essex
Sounds like they had a daytrip out from London the same tactic has been used on many high end stores.Day time is now seen as the easiest time to steal [night time alarms and smoke cloak etc ] the high value of e mtb will only see an increase in this problem
 
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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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West Sx RH
More like a daytrip from the local traveller site.
Pykies day out with added menace.
They need to secure all display bikes much like Evans, go in to there Gatwick branch and all are cable looped to prevent this.
 
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peter.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2018
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thurrock essex
The thieves will just do more damage if they are all chained together.The higher the value the more the problem will increase they need bolting down with a ground anchor but even then they will go shopping with bolt croppers or battery angle grinder some are even stolen to order The real problem is some people would like a cheap bike and would believe I have lost the charger so give me x in cash
 
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Paul smith

Pedelecer
Mar 26, 2016
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Just wondering where that copper selby done his 30 years..trumpton??...these fuckers need to be met with violence....esp pikeys..only ever had one dealing with these scum..didn,t end well for any of us.
 

Crockers

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 19, 2014
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Just wondering where that copper selby done his 30 years..trumpton??...these fuckers need to be met with violence....esp pikeys..only ever had one dealing with these scum..didn,t end well for any of us.
Assuming he joined at say 20, did his 30 years and say retired a few years ago, this puts him in his mid to late 50s. Being paid say £8 an hour why would he put himself in danger over a piece of metal which is insured. Not as though they were raping the assistant.

He most likely has a wife, children and grandchildren who want their dad home safe