Enough to make your blood boil: Volunteer rider's bike stolen and burned out

A 71-year-old volunteer Blood Biker has been left shocked and potentially massively out of pocket after his BMW R1200RT was stolen from his driveway before being apparently dumped and destroyed by a group of youths.

“I just can’t believe that someone could take a Blood Bike and torch it like this,” rider Phil Sivelle of Ashford, Middlesex, told MCN. “It just beggars belief that anybody could be so mindless.”

The BMW rider has been volunteering for the Blood Bikes for five years, having previously spent seven years donating his time to the St John Ambulance service.

He continued: “If you watch these programmes like 24 Hours in A&E you see all these NHS people working their butts off. I had a desire to give something back. You want to help.”

Phil purchased his RT for the purpose of charity work with Blood Bikes and had already taken part in an estimated 65 runs and 100 deliveries on the bike.

“At least I got the satisfaction that nobody is making any money on it,” Sivelle continued. “I’m not angry, I’m just sad and bewildered!”

According to Phil, thieves took the bike from his driveway on the evening of Saturday, November 19 whilst he was away.

A neighbour spotted it being pushed up the next street around a quarter of a mile away by three youths in balaclavas – two on foot, one on a scooter – and called the police.

With officers unable to locate the machine at the time, it was discovered burned out a day later around three miles away, in neighbouring Stanwell.

Surrey Police have confirmed the theft of the bike and subsequent recovery of two panniers on Grays Lane in Ashford.

The investigating officer believes the bike to have been discovered burned out, however could only confirm this from images supplied by the victim. At the time of writing, no arrests have been made.

Unfortunately for Phil, his motorcycles are not insured on his driveway between 10pm and 6am. Whilst the exact time of the theft has not been determined, if it did occur after 10pm he faces the risk of not receiving a payout.

“It never occurred to me that someone would be after that bike – particularly because when it was parked up, I tended to leave the emergency blood bike sign on it.”

Anyone with any information that may assist the investigation should contact Surrey Police quoting PR/45220125825.

This can be done via dialling 101, on a web chat, the online reporting tool at www.surrey.police.uk or anonymously via Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.