A shop has been the victim of theft

The owner of a bike shop has said he is ‘devastated’ after thieves smashed his businness’s window and pinched thousands of pounds worth of stock overnight.

Tony Rhodes, owner of Drayton Cycles, woke up on Monday, August 7 to a call from an adjacent news agents raising the alarm that his shop had been ransacked.

Burglars targeted the London Road shop, in Widley, between Sunday night and the early hours of Monday morning, leaving shattered glass and empty bike stands in their wake.

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The 62-year-old, who previously served in the police force for three decades, said: “It’s just so sad, I’m absolutely gutted, but what can you do? It’s just really, really tough - We have just got to keep going because it’s my livelihood, I can’t just pack it in.

“It looks like overnight someone has just smashed the front up. They have come into the shop, tried to get into the till, but they haven’t managed to, and then taken three bikes from the shop. Two of them were for sale and the other one was a customer's bike that had been serviced and was ready to be picked up - they have obviously targeted the best bikes in the shop.

“They have stolen £15,000 worth of bikes - they are good bikes and I’ve got insurance but that will be a long, drawn out process.”

Tony, who opened the business 11-years-ago, said the burglary comes after he was evicted from his previous premises in Drayton due to the building owner wanting to convert the site into flats.

The shop’s relocation has resulted in further financial pressures with business rates now being applied due to the slight increase in the new shop’s size.

“We moved up here and started again so this is devastating because bike shops are on the cusp of getting by”, he continued, “we don’t make lots of money and it is just about making a living and we barely do that at times, so to have three bikes of that value stolen and our premises smashed in, it’s just devastating.”

Upon the discovery of the theft, a police officer from the Serious Organised Crime Agency attended the shop where finger prints and photographs of the scene were taken.

But as a former officer, Tony said he is not expecting the culprits to be located and further action to be taken.

He added: “For this to happen you do get to the point where you think: ‘Is it worth it?’ You help so many people and work so hard and then this happens. Last year, when I got the eviction notice, I was in a bad way but I picked myself up and carried on and then this happens and it’s like snakes and ladders, and we’re back at the start.

“I decided to open my own shop but used most of my pension to support it so that is a bit of a shock because it impacts everything. It is not just a shop, it impacts me and my family. It is my family who have been kicked in the teeth because of this - they probably think we’ve got loads of money. It’s just so sad, I’m absolutely gutted but what can you do? It’s just really, really tough - We have just got to keep going because it’s my livelihood, I can’t just pack it in.”