Spate of motorbikes being stolen in Leeds and 'brazenly' posted on Instagram page driven dangerously

There has been numerous incidents in recent weeks of bikes worth thousands of pounds being stolen in broad daylight by youths wearing balaclavas.

Videos of the bikes being driven recklessly around the city and advertised for sale are then being shared on Instagram pages.

Victims have contacted one another to share information about the thefts and are appealing to West Yorkshire Police and others to step up efforts to tackle it.

West Yorkshire Police has said it is aware of the concerns and the fact that the motorbikes are being displayed online.

Dr Helen Chapman, 41, was working a shift at St James’ Hospital in Leeds on Thursday, May 30, when her £5,000 Kawasaki Versys 650 was stolen while locked up outside at around 12.15pm “in broad daylight and in front of people”.

Dr Chapman, who had been a victim of bike theft twice before in the last two years, said a matter of hours later she found a picture of her motorbike being advertised for £800 on an Instagram page.

She said: “I feel like Leeds is turning in to a hotspot of bike theft.”

She said that she was stunned by the number of posts she found on Facebook by people in Leeds whose bikes were stolen in similar circumstances and shared on the same Instagram page. Videos of young men riding the bikes erratically around the streets of Leeds and doing wheelies are also shared on the page.

“The biggest thing for me is that this group is flagrantly stealing bikes and advertising them online”, she said. “Police told me that they know the gangs have the bikes but they can’t pin the theft of the particular bikes on the group.

“The police are being supportive and doing their best but their hands are tied. It’s really frustrating.”

Dr Chapman’s bike was later recovered by police after being abandoned by the side of the road in South Yorkshire. She said it had suffered “extensive damage” that would cost over £1,000 to repair.

While searching for her bike Dr Chapman saw a post from Tracy Hurst, whose husband Craig’s bike was stolen “by two youths on a scooter” on June 3 at 12.30 while he was working at Asda House.

Mrs Hurst said that her husband’s bike was worth £14,000 and that he needed it to travel to and from work from near York.

She said that after reporting the theft to the police she searched on Facebook groups about bike crime and was “shocked at how common this is”.

After she posted about the theft Dr Chapman contacted Mrs Hurst to say that she had seen the stolen bike shared on Instagram.

She said: “The account shows various videos of the perpetrators riding stolen bikes up and down public highways, pulling wheelies and causing a danger to the public.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It just seemed so brazen and wrong.” She added: “This is a national problem and these gangs are not being stopped or held accountable. The police must know who they are.”

Mrs Hurst said “Craig has worked hard all his life and last year treated himself to his motorbike which was just taken from him without a care in the world. It was his pride and joy.

“It was heart breaking to see it paraded like some trophy on Instagram.”

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The two said that there had been a spike in the number of bike thefts in Leeds recently. Among them was a French man who was travelling through the country and had stopped off in Leeds on his way to Scotland. His bike was stolen as he stopped off at the Abbey Retail Park in Kirkstall.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We recognise there are concerns in Leeds District regarding motorbike-related crime and are aware of instances where stolen motorbikes have been advertised for sale on social media.

“Enquiries are ongoing to identify those responsible and we will take positive action where people are found to be in possession of, or using a stolen motor vehicle.

“We also work closely with our partner agencies to tackle vehicle theft and would ask anyone who believes they have information about a stolen motor vehicle to report it by calling 101, or using our livechat facility on the West Yorkshire Police website.

“Information can also be reported anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”