A man from east London has managed to retrieve his stolen bike, as well as lead police to a thief, with the help of an online marketplace. Alasdair Bayman, who had been planning to cycle to Kent, discovered his mustard-yellow Cannondale Topstone listed on Gumtree for less than half its value. He negotiated the price down to £750 and arranged to meet the seller, but was wary and contacted the police. Officers urged Bayman not to go alone and accompanied him and his girlfriend, Eloïse Wright, to the Walthamstow location. However, the seller had changed his name on the site and went silent when Bayman told him he had arrived.
The police recognised photos of the area that had been posted on Gumtree and, with the help of a resident, narrowed down the suspects to a particular block of flats. On turning up at the location, they found Bayman’s bike alongside three others. The thief’s mother answered the door and asked the police: “What’s he done now?” A 21-year-old man was arrested and charged with handling stolen goods.
Police say around 20,000 bicycles are stolen in London every year. Most owners never see their bikes again, with little hope of either recovering them or seeing the culprit caught. However, Bayman’s successful recovery of his bike illustrates how online marketplaces such as Gumtree can sometimes be used to track down stolen items. He said he hopes his experience will send a message to other thieves that “you can’t get away with this”
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