Police uncover suspected stolen bike haul in Portsmouth

The force said that shortly after midnight on Wednesday officers were called to a public order incident on Winstanley Road, Stamshaw.

A spokeswoman said: ‘As part of enquiries officers located 58 bicycles and frames. Officers are working to establish if the bikes had previously been stolen.’

A 41-year-old man from Portsmouth has been arrested on suspicion of theft, and has been released from custody but remains under investigation.

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The discovery comes after a spate of reported bike thefts across the city and surrounding area, with two taking place on Tuesday night.

Thirteen-year-old Kyie Watkinson had his Carrera Vengeance mountain bike stolen from the family’s garden shed in Somerstown Road after it had been bought as a birthday present. Kyie’s previous model had also been stolen whilst he was out cycling in the city.

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Kyie said: ‘I’m really angry that someone has stolen my bike and just hope it can be found and brought back to me.’

The bike was stolen from the garden shed after thieves removed the door by taking off the hinges.

Mum Amber Watkinson, 33, said: ‘I had locked the bikes up and put the lock on the shed before going to bed. It was when I was going out to work that I noticed the bins had been moved and I discovered that the door was off and Kyie’s bike had been taken.’

Amber had saved up to buy the £245 bike which Kyie used to cycle to school.

‘I’m absolutely gutted and whoever stole the bike must have known it belonged to a child. It makes me sick to think that someone has waited and watched me go into the house before breaking into the shed,’ she added.

On the same night, Jack Rubio, 22, reported that he also had his bike stolen from Fareham train station after he had locked his bike up before boarding a train to attend the Pompey match.

It is a Merida Crossway 10-V 2018 hybrid bike, with an aluminium alloy frame and a Shimano 3x7 speed drivetrain for a wide range of gears. It is a matt anthracite/white colour and has the frame stamp WC930770N, and Matt was given the crime reference number 1900072031.

Jack said: ‘When I returned at around 10.20pm the bike shed was empty and all that remained was the broken lock which had been attached to my bike. It’s a real shame that some people see that as a viable way to make money. I was hoping to use the bike to cycle to work and to help me get fitter. I bought the bike on the Cycle to Work Scheme and I’m now paying £30 a month for a bike which I don't have.’

The incident follows the recent revelation that Fareham, Fratton and Havant train stations are in the top 25 blackspots in the UK for bike thefts.