Latest viral bike theft video as angle grinder used to snatch locked
bicycle in seconds

This is how quickly a bike thief was able to remove a lock with an angle
grinder on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, in London, last night, the
footage since widely shared across social media by the 'London & UK Street
News' account...

It'll be a familiar scene for those of you who have read reports on this
website of seemingly endless similar incidents in recent years, and shows
the shocking ease with which many bikes can be taken. In total, the clip
lasts just 12 seconds, from the point it starts to when the thief has
mounted the stolen bicycle and rides off.

A second post that caught our eye last night came from Evening Standard
assistant news editor Tom Davidson and showed his angle grinder-damaged
lock, with the caption: "After two attempted angle grinder thefts in less
than five months (both stopped by Litelok), might I suggest Met Police put
some 'trap' bikes outside Tooting Broadway station?"

Bait bikes are a popular topic at the minute due to the resounding success
that City of London Police had using one in a recently reported case that
saw officers bring down a bike theft gang (and recover £130,000 worth of
stolen bikes) in a single shift, after tracking a bike they had left locked
at a theft hotspot with the intention of following to its destination once
it was stolen.

"I was just shocked," Detective Constable Matt Cooper said of the
operation. "We had tracked one stolen bike to a plant hire business in East
London — and found about 60 more. Bikes in the office, bikes in the toilet,
bikes hanging up on rails, bikes stacked up everywhere. There was about
£130,000 worth. It was hard to take in."

In total, 11 people have now been sentenced for their role in the thefts,
City of London Police explaining that reported bicycle thefts in the part
of the city referred to as the Square Mile fell from 68 per month at the
height of the gang's spree in August 2020 to just seven in January 2021.

<https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-3-april-2024-307615#live-blog-item-56439>

--
Spike

On 03/04/2024 10:59 am, Spike wrote:
>
> Latest viral bike theft video as angle grinder used to snatch locked
> bicycle in seconds
>
> This is how quickly a bike thief was able to remove a lock with an angle
> grinder on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, in London, last night, the
> footage since widely shared across social media by the 'London & UK Street
> News' account...
>
> It'll be a familiar scene for those of you who have read reports on this
> website of seemingly endless similar incidents in recent years, and shows
> the shocking ease with which many bikes can be taken. In total, the clip
> lasts just 12 seconds, from the point it starts to when the thief has
> mounted the stolen bicycle and rides off.
>
> A second post that caught our eye last night came from Evening Standard
> assistant news editor Tom Davidson and showed his angle grinder-damaged
> lock, with the caption: "After two attempted angle grinder thefts in less
> than five months (both stopped by Litelok), might I suggest Met Police put
> some 'trap' bikes outside Tooting Broadway station?"
>
> Bait bikes are a popular topic at the minute due to the resounding success
> that City of London Police had using one in a recently reported case that
> saw officers bring down a bike theft gang (and recover £130,000 worth of
> stolen bikes) in a single shift, after tracking a bike they had left locked
> at a theft hotspot with the intention of following to its destination once
> it was stolen.
>
> "I was just shocked," Detective Constable Matt Cooper said of the
> operation. "We had tracked one stolen bike to a plant hire business in East
> London — and found about 60 more. Bikes in the office, bikes in the toilet,
> bikes hanging up on rails, bikes stacked up everywhere. There was about
> £130,000 worth. It was hard to take in."
>
> In total, 11 people have now been sentenced for their role in the thefts,
> City of London Police explaining that reported bicycle thefts in the part
> of the city referred to as the Square Mile fell from 68 per month at the
> height of the gang's spree in August 2020 to just seven in January 2021.
>
> <https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-3-april-2024-307615#live-blog-item-56439>

I don't remember ever having a lock and chain when I was cycling (from
about ages 13 to about 16).

Perhaps it was just a different world back then.

On 4/04/24 05:31, JNugent wrote:
> On 03/04/2024 10:59 am, Spike wrote:
>>
>> Latest viral bike theft video as angle grinder used to snatch locked
>> bicycle in seconds
>>
>> This is how quickly a bike thief was able to remove a lock with an angle
>> grinder on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, in London, last night, the
>> footage since widely shared across social media by the 'London & UK
>> Street
>> News' account...
>>
>> It'll be a familiar scene for those of you who have read reports on this
>> website of seemingly endless similar incidents in recent years, and shows
>> the shocking ease with which many bikes can be taken. In total, the clip
>> lasts just 12 seconds, from the point it starts to when the thief has
>> mounted the stolen bicycle and rides off.
>>
>> A second post that caught our eye last night came from Evening Standard
>> assistant news editor Tom Davidson and showed his angle grinder-damaged
>> lock, with the caption: "After two attempted angle grinder thefts in less
>> than five months (both stopped by Litelok), might I suggest Met Police
>> put
>> some 'trap' bikes outside Tooting Broadway station?"
>>
>> Bait bikes are a popular topic at the minute due to the resounding
>> success
>> that City of London Police had using one in a recently reported case that
>> saw officers bring down a bike theft gang (and recover £130,000 worth of
>> stolen bikes) in a single shift, after tracking a bike they had left
>> locked
>> at a theft hotspot with the intention of following to its destination
>> once
>> it was stolen.
>>
>> "I was just shocked," Detective Constable Matt Cooper said of the
>> operation. "We had tracked one stolen bike to a plant hire business in
>> East
>> London — and found about 60 more. Bikes in the office, bikes in the
>> toilet,
>> bikes hanging up on rails, bikes stacked up everywhere. There was about
>> £130,000 worth. It was hard to take in."
>>
>> In total, 11 people have now been sentenced for their role in the thefts,
>> City of London Police explaining that reported bicycle thefts in the part
>> of the city referred to as the Square Mile fell from 68 per month at the
>> height of the gang's spree in August 2020 to just seven in January 2021.
>>
>> <https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-3-april-2024-307615#live-blog-item-56439>
>
> I don't remember ever having a lock and chain when I was cycling (from
> about ages 13 to about 16).
>
> Perhaps it was just a different world back then.

Nor I, in the first 20 years or so I was bicycling.
But my bikes started disappearing in the 1970's. Enter lock and chain,
D-locks etc.
Now my bike is non-electric, which seems to be some protection against
it getting stolen. I still use a lock and chain, though.

JNugent <jnugent97@mail.com> wrote:
> On 03/04/2024 10:59 am, Spike wrote:
>>
>> Latest viral bike theft video as angle grinder used to snatch locked
>> bicycle in seconds
>>
>> This is how quickly a bike thief was able to remove a lock with an angle
>> grinder on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, in London, last night, the
>> footage since widely shared across social media by the 'London & UK Street
>> News' account...
>>
>> It'll be a familiar scene for those of you who have read reports on this
>> website of seemingly endless similar incidents in recent years, and shows
>> the shocking ease with which many bikes can be taken. In total, the clip
>> lasts just 12 seconds, from the point it starts to when the thief has
>> mounted the stolen bicycle and rides off.
>>
>> A second post that caught our eye last night came from Evening Standard
>> assistant news editor Tom Davidson and showed his angle grinder-damaged
>> lock, with the caption: "After two attempted angle grinder thefts in less
>> than five months (both stopped by Litelok), might I suggest Met Police put
>> some 'trap' bikes outside Tooting Broadway station?"
>>
>> Bait bikes are a popular topic at the minute due to the resounding success
>> that City of London Police had using one in a recently reported case that
>> saw officers bring down a bike theft gang (and recover £130,000 worth of
>> stolen bikes) in a single shift, after tracking a bike they had left locked
>> at a theft hotspot with the intention of following to its destination once
>> it was stolen.
>>
>> "I was just shocked," Detective Constable Matt Cooper said of the
>> operation. "We had tracked one stolen bike to a plant hire business in East
>> London — and found about 60 more. Bikes in the office, bikes in the toilet,
>> bikes hanging up on rails, bikes stacked up everywhere. There was about
>> £130,000 worth. It was hard to take in."
>>
>> In total, 11 people have now been sentenced for their role in the thefts,
>> City of London Police explaining that reported bicycle thefts in the part
>> of the city referred to as the Square Mile fell from 68 per month at the
>> height of the gang's spree in August 2020 to just seven in January 2021.
>>
>> <https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-3-april-2024-307615#live-blog-item-56439>
>
> I don't remember ever having a lock and chain when I was cycling (from
> about ages 13 to about 16).
>
> Perhaps it was just a different world back then.
>

If you recall, cyclists were more responsible several decades ago.

Riding on the pavement wasn’t the done thing, you used lights after dark,
obeyed road signs, ….