Stolen bikes

On Saturday at a flea market I was offered this bicycle initially for £150. While looking it over and scratching my chin the way you do, the guy said “my friend would probably take an offer.”

“Okay if you haven’t sold it by Wednesday I’ll take it for £100.” I replied.
“Oh yeah, is it stolen? because I’m not interested in buying stolen bicycles and the headaches and bad karma that come with that.”
“No it was his, he used to use it for work to carry his tools and stuff that’s why it has some scratches on the inside and a few on the outside.” He assured me as he pointed to the scratches.
I didn’t have the space or time to move it there and then plus I thought the weekend would give me time to search the net a bit (due diligence) to see if one was missing or stolen. My cursory search came up with nothing so I felt a bit more comfortable about buying it even though it was a bit too good to be true.
This morning I saw the same guy and he said “are you still up for buying the bicycle?”
“Yeah sure if your friend can do me a reciept absolutely. 100% it’s not stolen, is it?” I said.

“Yeah he can give you a written receipt if you like. it’s not stolen. I can meet you back here in an hour”
“Fine. I’ll be here or in the vicinity.”
He went one way and I went the other. In passing to a friend I explained my underlying reservations and he suggested faceache marketplace and the forums and then it clicked that I hadn’t looked on ‘the stolen thread’.
A quick search and fast forward to the last page had it confirmed. The coincidences were all too great. From there it was just a case of trying to get in touch with @FutureMatt and hoping he’d be free to come with me and identify his bike.
The seller got impatient waiting for me and sold it to somebody else for £50. Luckily the person they sold it to was a friend of mine so we were able to telephone them before they left the flea market and reunite Matt with his baby chariot.
I could not have made the day better for a nicer person.
Long live Lfgss