Had a bike nicked? Merseyside Police seek rightful owners of stolen off-roaders

Police are seeking the owners of several off-road motorcycles and a quadbike, after they were seized by officers during a recent operation in Merseyside.

The force recovered the stolen machines after following multiple lines of enquiry, stating that they believe they could have been taken during recent burglaries and robberies in the area.

Images have now been released on social media in a bid to reunite them with their rightful owners. The motocrossers consist of a Husqvarna, Yamaha and Kawasaki, with none yet confirmed as being returned.
They were recovered on May 2, with a 20- and 18-year-old male arrested alongside two females, aged 15 and 29. All were detained on suspicion of handling stolen goods and drugs offences.

Alongside the petrol-powered recoveries, the force also recovered a number of e-bicycles.

Detective Inspector Chris Carlin from the force has issued a warning to potential offenders and promised more action over the coming months.

“We have made a number of arrests and seized suspected stolen e-bikes over the past few weeks and this positive action will continue into the summer months,” Det Insp Carlin said.

“We know how frustrating the anti-social use of electric bikes and mopeds can be for our communities,” he continued.

“The offenders who ride them anti-socially not only pose a threat to other road users and pedestrians, they risk their own safety by riding too fast, through red lights and often without wearing a helmet.”

Det Insp Carlin went on to say that electric bikes can sometimes be linked to the supply of drugs, as well as the transport of weapons in the area.

What’s more, some legal owners of these vehicles can be targeted by criminals wishing to use their property for their illegal activities.

“If you tell us about electric bikes being used for the purposes of drugs supply in your area, we will take your report extremely seriously,” the Merseyside representative added.

Alongside the work in Merseyside, officers from the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team in Sussex discovered a number of potentially stolen motorbikes in a garage in April. The recovered bikes included a Yamaha MT-125 plus a scooter and two other bikes.

A force spokesperson said: “We are aware motorcycle theft has been an issue for a number of areas across the district in the last few months, and we would like to reassure communities that both our patrols and investigations continue in areas reported by local communities.”