Six bicycles worth around £31,200 have been stolen from a specialist shop in Aberdeenshire.
The bikes were taken from Bennachie Bike Bothy in Monymusk at around 1am on Wednesday, following a break-in at the store overnight.
A Facebook post from the company says the suspects are three men, one with a Liverpool accent and two with local accents, who made off in a silver Renault Traffic that was missing the front left wheel trim.
The post lists the six bikes as:
- A brand new yellow XL Bird AM9 with Deore coil and Lyrik Ultimate
- A new L Bird Aether 7 in raw alloy, with AXS and Fox factory kit
- A “quite tatty” orange ML Bird AM160 demo bike
- A brand new L Pivot Firebird with Sandstorm finish, Fox factory kit, TRP drivetrain and brakes
- An “immaculate” used black S2 Kenevo Expert, with boxers, TRP brakes and AXS
- A silver and blue L Giant Reign from around 2016, in quite good condition but taken mid-repair with its dropper broken
‘Absolutely despicable’
Alexander Burnett, the Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, said: “It’s sickening that heartless thieves would target a business in Monymusk like this.
“The last 18 months have been especially difficult for independent traders and for this to happen is absolutely despicable.
“Bennachie Bike Bothy does a lot of fantastic work for the community, working with local guides and coaches to highlight the fantastic landmarks that our area has to offer.
“I hope the culprits are caught and dealt with appropriately and I would urge anyone with any information to contact the police as soon as possible.”
Detective Sergeant Erika Griffiths of Aberdeen CID said: “The bikes, which are custom built and unique, are worth around £30,000.
“We are keen to a trace three men and van which was parked near to the premises shortly before the break-in.
“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0167 of 18 August.”
Latest in series of bike thefts
The north and north-east has been hit by more than 200 bike thefts since the start of this year, with the Monymusk raid bringing the total value of the stolen property up to around £140,000.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Evening Express and Press & Journal found that 225 incidents had taken place between the start of January and the end of May.
The postcode that recorded the highest number of theft reports was AB24, which covers areas such as Seaton, Woodside and Old Aberdeen.
You can find out how many bikes were taken in your postcode – and find out how to avoid becoming a victim – by reading our special report, which was published earlier this month.
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