Mother whose son's BMX was stolen tricks thief who tried to sell it on Facebook into bringing it to her house

Not only do the police have the Facebook account of the thief but he was caught on video inside the house when he returned the bike. Obviously these thieves don't  steal just one bike but many others and then go on to other crime but it's not a priority for the police so this criminality will escalate.

I am not so enamoured with this story, I do not think that the mother comes off well in my eyes.

First off she admits to letting her child cycle around on a bike with faulty brakes. Then when the bike is stolen, instead of getting the police involved and potentially get the thief arrested (and stop future children having to suffer the same loss) she decides to play a little prank on the thief and teaches him the lesson not to sell through social media.

I can understand the lady's attitude on this.

When my son was about 9 years old I was walking with him in a subway near where I work in Birmingham. We were accosted on the steps out of the subway by 3 youths, asking the time. Sensing the worst I gently guided my son away from them as one the of youths said "get his wallet".

My thoughts were "not in front of my son you don't"

No fracas, just lots of shouting from me to attract attention - though as one reached for my wallet I leant towards him and he slipped down the steps. They fled, it was the shouting ("I know your face" "Police" "Thieves" etc.) that did the trick. All I wanted to do was create an escape rout, they had me surrounded.

Stupid of me really, but there you are. Parental protectiveness and all that.

bike thieves need to be erradicated

"Humberside Police said that rather than people taking matters into their own hands, "We always encourage anyone who has had any property stolen to call us in the first instance and report it.”"

"Because after a week we'll issue you with a crime number that you can give to your insurers.  But if you think that we'll do anything else at all to investigate the crime, apprehend the suspect or prosecute him, you're delusional.  We barely bother dealing with the big stuff like burglaries and assaults; bike theft is way too much trouble for us."

On the subject of bikes and biking, Humberside police seemed concerned only that you should be wearing a helmet when out and about - and not riding on the A63.  How much worse would things be if the chief constable wasn't quite a bit of a MAMIL?

Good for Jemma, although I think I would be fearful of reprisals in her position. 

I'm still on the lookout everytime I go back up to maters after her bike (a present from me 3 xmas's ago) was stolen from outside the care home she volunteers at.  Humberside police are useless in my experience.

Glad this person got her sons bike back but it's so infrequent hence why it makes it newsworthy.

H'mmmm what would Humberside Police have done if you had reported it?

Like all our under resourced and overworked forces, nothing, no one was hurt and property value was low.

Good on her

Humberside Police, the crime number kings of the UK, it's pure luck if they ever recover a stolen item.

I wonnder if the thief has closed their facebook account, or it would be very easy for the police to track them down.  

Well done Jemma.

Well done!  Has she supplied the video to the police to stop other people having their bikes nicked?

Good on her.