UKH

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/heartbreak-30k-worth-cycle...

Sad news .

"Thieves and vandals have stolen and damaged up to £30,000 worth of bikes from a Derby cycling organisation set up to give biking experiences to all ages and abilities.

The offenders stole a large number of bikes and other equipment at Cycle Derby's storage unit at Markeaton Park.

The crime is understood to have happened in the early hours of Thursday, March 11.

Cycle Derby supports people of all abilities and helps those disabled and with learning difficulties to get on a bike for the first time.

It runs community classes and works with schools to get as many people active as possible.

"We've built the fleet up for several years so it's hard to take.

"People don't understand that when you have someone with autism it takes a lot of confidence to get on a bike and if that bike disappears then you have to build up all that trust again and it is a real wrench for them. "

CT

What a bunch of bastards. 

I worked at a similar scheme in Bristol and I'm not sure what would happen if they got all their bikes stolen. 

What do a not-for-profit charity organisation do when they're run mostly on volunteer work and donations and they suddenly lose all their inventory and get a big fat insurance cheque? Their rent and few salaried staff are sorted for a while but they're back to square 1 in terms of their 'business'.  

It makes me despair, what chance have we got when people who think this is acceptable behaviour are part of society.  I would hope that most people with criminal tendencies would stop well short of stooping this low!  Not that I think stealing anything from anyone is acceptable but surely even thieves should have some morals, can't get my head around it.

There's chains on charity tins for a reason...

Early in lockdown last year in my area someone torched 3 of the local childrens mental health charity's minibuses meaning in a pandemic they were suddenly without transport. Fortunately some local companies stepped in with minbuses that used to do train station runs etc

So sorry to hear that! We have just borrowed a tandem from a similar charity, so we can take our daughter for a spin. I know what a great resource it is!

Given what I read in the news, humanity has no limits to the depths it can plummet...

Bicycles have replaced horses, so I suggest to treat bike thieves like we used to treat horse thieves:

Cut off their ears and brand them on the forehead for the first time, hang them outside the gates for the second.

More seriously, a large part of the problem is that the police do not give a flying f*ck, to them bike theft is, unlike car theft, apparently not even a crime.

CB