UKH

What's the law say?

Abandoned and partially trashed bike on the way to local park. But saddle, bell etc. salvageable.

I think the technical term is "wombling" 

I think technically, it is theft. It is not your bike. The law provides for the assumption that you should be able to leave your stuff somewhere (provided you are doing so legally), and expect to find it still there when you return. Yes, even if you don't lock it up...

In the real world, if you leave a bike unlocked for more than a few seconds, no-one would expect it not to be stolen.

In the real world, people intentionally leave stuff on the kerb, or next to recycling facilities (bottle banks, etc), hoping the recycling fairies will take it away. I'm one of those recycling fairies...

My only qualms in this case would be that the bike is probably stolen and then abandoned, and you taking bits off it will prevent the owner recovering it. Not that there's realistically much chance of recovering a stolen bike; I only have a one in five record of doing so, despite having seen one of my stolen bikes a number of times around town, and finding the Police unable to assist. And no national scheme of bike registration and checking.

Nice.  Technically theft,  but morally defensible (maybe). 

I think the least you could expect from any decent self-respecting womble though is to tidy the whole thing away not just nick the more juicy bits and leave the rest of it there.

Feral Wombles perhaps go in for this type of activity

I'm not condoning such behaviour mind.  Just wanted to give the Wombles a mention.

youtube.com/watch?v=DzAL9ELsFRw&

I once found a "abandoned" security van stuffed full of precious metals and paper

"I took the unwanted currency as I knew it wouldn't biodegrade and recycling centers don't have a bin for gold and silver, your honour "

I once took a B.B. and chainset off a bike that was locked up and ‘abandoned’ in a load of racks in London. It had one of those stickers on that said ‘if you don’t move this bike it will be destroyed’ so had obviously been there a while. 

If you have ever removed a square taper crank arm + B.B. you will know this can take some time + brute force. Nobody batted an eyelid. 

If it’s defibitely been abandoned then go for it. I applaud the wombles! 

Its locked to railings and both wheels gone. Its been there over a week now.

Can you come and have a got at removing the BB from my old Rocky... Tried a 4ft steel pipe 'whammy bar', and still no joy...

Well with no wheels what would you expect.  

I know someone who had a similar problem, only not on a bike, they'd tried with huge pipe like yourself. Problem was solved when it was pointed out it was a gas fitting with opposite thread. (Notches on nut). 

I only work on bikes locked to railings

Aaargh!  It's November, TWS.  NOVEMBER!

Lacking that bit of knowledge cost me a gas hose...  Normally I’d take a blowtorch to a stuck thread rather than “persuader” but that didn’t seem sensible with a propane tank even if it was about empty....

Tried both ways...

BBs have strange threading.

I'm not familiar with any other Womble songs off the top of my head. 

Sorry

I would agree, I just renovated a 13 year old bike. Luckily it was never sat outside in the weather, which probably made it easier.