Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Tandem hire firm counts cost of theft

 
A tandem cycle enthusiast is appealing for help after thieves stole four of her hire bikes from her Blackbird Leys back garden.
Student Patricia Kacprzak and her boyfriend started a hire business earlier this year, buying eight tandem cycles to rent to tourists.

The 24-year-old, who has lived in Blackbird Leys for three years since moving to the UK from Poland, told the Oxford Mail: “They were stolen from our back garden, each one is worth about £400.
“We only started trading early this year when the season started.”
The thieves struck while Miss Kacprzak and boyfriend Milan Miskolczi, 30, were asleep on October 3rd.
She said: “One of our housemates looked through the window in the morning and realised that the cover was lifted and something seemed to be missing.
“We were shocked. We really did not expect this, we feel very disappointed and a bit empty.
“We’ve started to feel a bit insecure and are making sure that we have definitely locked everything up.”
The thieves removed a fence panel to get into the back garden before making off with the cycles.
Police later spotted one of the bikes being ridden in Blackbird Leys on October 5 but the person on it ran off before officers could stop him.
They did however recover the bike, which is now being examined by forensic experts.
Miss Kacprzak, who said they had spent about £5,000 setting up the business, added: “We really thought that starting our own business would be a good way of dealing with the current economic climate.
“Being healthy and sporty is our hobby as well and so we thought we could combine the two things for a little bit of extra income.
“Milan used to do triathalons when he was younger.
“We looked around for a business idea and found this, and thought it was a good idea that would be popular in Oxford.”
She added: “We believe somebody has watched us on Saturday when we were out riding with friends and then planned this. You can’t see over the fence.
“The police have acted quickly.
“They recovered a bike, but they didn’t catch the boy.”
Anyone with information should call Pc Ben Jones on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111

(Reproduced from The Oxford Mail, 18th Oct 2011)

Gardien Tip: Free advice on Bike Security is available at http://www.garden-security.co.uk/bike-security-print.htm

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