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.
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.
