THIS WEEK IN 1993: Portsmouth police find a stolen bike '“ then lose it

Portsmouth police told cyclist Greg Mitchell they had found his stolen bike 12 months after it went missing '“ but later admitted they didn't know where it was.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Apr 2017, 06:00 BST
Updated 9th May 2017, 18:46 BST
Greg Mitchell was less than impressed to learn that his bike, found by police, had yet again gone missingGreg Mitchell was less than impressed to learn that his bike, found by police, had yet again gone missing
Greg Mitchell was less than impressed to learn that his bike, found by police, had yet again gone missing

The bike was taken from outside the Kings Theatre, Southsea, in December 1991 and recovered a few weeks later.

But when Greg went to Kingston Crescent police station to collect it he was told it was not there.

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A year-long search in the police stations of Hampshire proved fruitless and stumped police admitted: ‘It is like looking for a needle in a haystack.’

Greg, a technician at the University of Portsmouth, said: ‘I was told not to call around the police stations to ask whether they had my bike because they had a very heavy caseload at the time.

‘It is a vicious circle because I cannot check all the stations as I have no bike to get there.’

Greg was overjoyed when police called to tell him they had found his treasured bike – his only means of transport.

He was not told where it was but went straight to the bike centre at Kingston Crescent, believing that was where it would be – alas it was not.

Pictured: Greg with his bike pump... but no bike