Bikes worth over £25,000 recovered by police in Edinburgh

An operation targeting the theft of pedal bikes across Edinburgh has recovered and reunited bikes worth over £25,000 with their rightful owners.

Since the beginning of October, officers from the Community Investigation Unit have been working with search and recovery team (SART) colleagues tackling the theft of pedal bikes from across the capital.

The thefts have occurred from sheds and garages from addresses in the past six weeks, and include specialist road and mountain bikes.

A total of 20 bikes that have been identified as stolen have now been returned to their owners, ranging in worth from between £250 to £4,000.

Nine male teenagers aged between 15 and 17-years-old have been reported in connection with the thefts.

Detective Inspector Bob Campbell from Edinburgh’s Community Investigation Unit said: “We continue to work hard to tackle the theft of bikes from across the capital.

“Thanks to intensive inquiries and the thorough work of officers, a large number of bikes have now been returned to their owners.

“We understand that bike theft has a distressing impact on local communities and falling victim to crime is an upsetting experience.”