A charity is desperately appealing for information after a number of disability bikes were stolen from a country park in Rochdale - with four left damaged.
The specially made bikes, made for people who might struggle to ride a standard bike due to a disability or health condition, were stolen from Bowlee Park in Middleton in the early hours of Thursday (June 22).
CCTV footage from the park captured six of the bikes being stolen at around 2am from where they were locked up. Today (Saturday) four were recovered in nearby woodland with irreparable damage, two of which cost £12,500. The other two are still missing.
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Your Trust Rochdale, who regularly run cycling sessions in the park for those with disabilities, are urgently seeking help to find the missing bikes.
Catherine Szymanskyj, Disability and Inclusion Manager with the group, said the whole ordeal has been a ‘nightmare’.
“It happened overnight on Thursday, we had a session during the day and locked them up, and that night they were taken,” she said.
“Then today we had a call from a member of the public who had seen one of them in the woodland, and we’ve also found the other two. It looks like one was thrown off the back of the truck, and the other two were deliberately damaged.”
One of the damaged bikes was said to have cost around £7,000.
“These are not bikes you can buy yourselves, they are specially made for people with multiple disabilities, visual impairment and severe autism. For some people, this is the only way they can ride a bike,” Catherine continued.
“The impact is massive, and we probably won’t be able to put on the groups for the rest of the year now. It’s just been a nightmare and we don’t know where to start.
“They’ve got to be replaced, and are very expensive due to them being specially made."
One of the missing bikes is a khaki green Jorvik mountain trike and the other is a red and black Hase Trigo Up semi-recumbant trike.
Catherine added: "If someone has found the others, please can they return them. We know they are not the ones who broke them and we need them back."
In a post shared on Facebook by Your Trust Rochdale, it reads: “We need your help! Can you help us to find our stolen accessible bikes?
“Over the last 24 hours, six of the accessible bikes used for Disability and Inclusion cycling sessions have been stolen from Bowlee Park. (the bikes stolen are the ones shown in the photos)
“These specialist bikes are for those who might struggle or be unable to ride a standard bike due to disability, a health condition, frailty or dementia.
“Sadly, the theft of the bikes means that people will not be able to enjoy their regular weekly cycling sessions. Due to the cost and these bikes being built to order, sessions will not be able to take place for the remainder of the year if they are not returned.”
Anyone who has seen the bikes is asked to contact the charity at inclusion@yourtrustrochdale.co.uk or call 01706 924000, or the bikes can be returned anonymously to Heywood Sports Village.
Greater Manchester Police have said they are investigating the incident and have said that anyone with information should call on 101 quoting the reference number 1980 of 23/06/2023.
