Shocking moment hooded thug steals bike in London’s Canada Water as he hurls abuse at the shocked bystander filming him
This is the shocking moment a hooded thug steals a bicycle in London’s Canada Water.
A young man dressed all in black, with his hood up and a PPE mask hiding his face, was filmed stealing a bicycle outside a south London train station yesterday.
He is seen easily wresting the bicycle from the rack to which it is chained with a bar and carelessly throwing it, along with the helmet, onto the road.
Then he and another man, dressed in black with a mask, ride the bikes.
As the filming bystander came closer, he said, “You absolutely… what are you doing?”
The cyclist then looks back and shouts ‘shut up bruv’ as he rides away and the cameraman calls him a ‘son of a bitch’.
The man posted the images on X and said: ‘this morning at 9am at Canada Water. Very sad for the owner of this bike.
A young man, dressed in all black, with his hood up and a PPE mask hiding his face, was filmed stealing a bicycle in South London this morning
As the bystander filming came closer, he said, “You absolutely… what are you doing?”
‘It didn’t take much effort to turn it off with a rod. Apparently they are there every day.
“I know there’s no point in challenging them and safety etc., but still, it’s just wrong.”
In a response on social media, concerned viewers advised the cameraman not to intervene for his safety.
Another said: ‘I would never leave a bike chained up anywhere in London for more than 20 seconds unless I was looking at it. Greenwich is the same: I’ve seen them with bolt croppers, bikes stolen in seconds on a busy street.’
According to Statista, a bicycle was stolen every seven minutes in England and Wales last year, equating to more than 77,000 thefts.
But a study by Cycling UK suggested this number could be as high as 237,000.
Last month the Lib Dems pointed out that almost 90 per cent of all reported bike thefts go unsolved, while only one in fifty results in a charge.
A man in North London was filmed crashing into a railing until a piece fell out
Video footage shows a man in North London taking a pipe cutter to the metal bicycle rail
The man then loops the bicycle through the hole made in the railing and cycles away
Of the officially reported thefts in the past five years, 350,000 resulted in no convictions.
The Liberal Democrats called for a return to ‘good community policing’.
The party’s home affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael MP, said: ‘These shocking figures will make people wonder whether bike theft has been decriminalised.
‘Whether used for commuting, a day out with the family or for exercise, people’s bicycles are a hugely valued asset.
“So bike thefts leave victims feeling both out of pocket and in distress, and knowing that the thief is likely to get away with it just adds salt in the wound.”
He added: ‘Years of neglect under this Conservative government have emboldened criminals and left police officers on the frontline without the resources they need to properly investigate crimes such as bike theft.
“The government must restore community policing, where police are visible in their neighborhoods and can focus on solving local crimes.”
Police Minister Chris Philp said: ‘The Liberal Democrats can never be trusted to reduce crime or keep communities safe.
‘They want to strip our police officers of vital powers and have voted against tougher sentences for the worst offenders.
‘The Conservatives have reduced thefts by 47 per cent since 2010, including bike thefts by 54 per cent, reduced violent crime by 52 per cent and put record numbers of police officers on the streets to keep our communities safe.
‘While the Liberal Democrats shout from the sidelines, we are making the difficult long-term decisions to reduce crime and protect people.’