An Uxbridge bicycle repair shop known for helping the community has had £8,000 worth of goods stolen after a break-in.
Staff at Recycle-a-Bike, on Cricket Field Road, woke up on Saturday (December 12) to the news that customer's bikes, the shop safe, repair parts, a laptop and iPad were looted.
Nick Gore, a Director at Recycle-a-Bike, said: “You name it, they nicked it.
“We had one customers bike stolen, who came in for a service, and we had seven of our bikes, some new and some recycled that we've built here for sale, they all went as well, and they were all very nice bikes.”
The shop recycles unwanted bicycles, helping to reduce the number of bikes that end up in landfill, and is a volunteer-based organisation helping people suffering from mental health illness by providing “support, training and a stepping stone back to employment”.
The project, which has been running for 10 years, has only had a premises in recent years.
Mr Gore said: “It’s just a real shame but we've had a lot of support from local customers.
“Everyone keeps coming in and saying to us: 'I can’t believe it’s you guys that have been robbed.'”
“We’re not a big company we’re a not-for-profit organisation and we try to help environment issues as well and sadly someone’s taking it on themselves to break in and take a load of our stock that we work very hard to get.”
Mr Gore says the break in was very bad timing for them as they were going to be moving premises in the coming months.
He said: “The police are checking CCTV across the road that cover a little bit of the back gate, where they think they jumped over.
“We do a lot of work with the Safer Transport Team at Hayes so hopefully they'll track these guys down.”
The shop owners have provided pictures of the type of bikes that were taken in the hope that anyone buying a bike in the area is aware that they may be stolen goods.
Metropolitan Police confirmed they were called at 6am on Saturday December 12, after reports of a burglary.
If you have any information on this incident please call police on 101.
