Criminal gets on his bike… or someone else's

Police forces are putting officers on bikes and now criminals are following suit.

According to a story in the Southern Daily Echo, police are stepping up the search for an armed bank robber dubbed the “bike bandit” because of his choice of getaway vehicle.

CCTV footage, which includes film of the robber wheeling his bike away from the scene, has been released in the hope of catching him after he struck twice in eight days, stealing thousands of pounds from a bank and a building society in Southampton.

It's not clear who was responsible for the "bike bandit" tag, the police or the local media, but we wonder if he would have been called “the car bandit” had he chosen a more traditional way to flee the crime scene?

While robbing banks cannot be condoned, we expect criminals, like police, are switching from cars to bikes for many of the same reasons. They are quicker and more versatile in urban situations.

With cops and robbers on bikes, click here to read how have-a-go heroes are choosing pedal power as the mode of choice to aid their fight against crime.