Blue Viscount - Recovered

An obliging crack-head has just sold me a BLUE VISCOUNT outside Brixton Tube for £2.

Not fixed, but running a bodged SS.

I presume it is stolen, so if it belongs to anyone - or you know whose it is - give me a shout, with the frame ref number (or some other distinguishing info) and you can have it back!

Might want to post it here as well:
http://www.londonfgss.com/thread123-47.html#post849001

Cheers Radius...

Will do.

Oh and well done for recovering the bike / posting! Hope it belongs to someone on here (otherwise, time for a fixed conversion? ;))

ahem

Put it this way, my girlfriend comes back from Edinburgh at the start of September... If the genuine owner doesn't turn up, she may have a spanking new (retro) fixed to play with...

Nice one roland, hope the original owner pops up.

maybe a photo?

maybe a photo?

I'd guess that anyone with a missing Viscount would get in touch photo or not. If they don't have the frame number and there are no photos they could potentially show that they are legit by describing unusual details they wouldn't know about if it hadn't belonged to them.

ahem

Put it this way, my girlfriend comes back from Edinburgh at the start of September... If the genuine owner doesn't turn up, she may have a spanking new (retro) fixed to play with...

or perhaps report the bicycle to the police?

or perhaps report the bicycle to the police?

Oh yeah? What did the poor bike do that was wrong eh? Bikeist.

Why did you buy a bike knowing it maybe stolen,I got a lot of abuse on my first for sale thread accused of selling a stolen bike which was not stolen at all.
Will you be taken this bike to the police station or are you going to keep the stolen goods.

Why did you buy a bike knowing it maybe stolen,I got a lot of abuse on my first for sale thread accused of selling a stolen bike which was not stolen at all.

To be fair, I think the best idea WAS for him to buy it and try and find the owner. He could've kept quiet about it, or sold it for a profit.

Saying that, Roland I think you should try harder to find the owner (if you haven't already) - not everyone SS reads this forum.

To be fair, I think the best idea WAS for him to buy it and try and find the owner. He could've kept quiet about it, or sold it for a profit.

Saying that, Roland I think you should try harder to find the owner (if you haven't already) - not everyone SS reads this forum.

All suggestions gratefully received - I have to say I am dubious about walking into Brixton Police Station and saying "I bought this bike - I think it is stolen" - simply because I have a feeling that they will raise their eyebrows, say "and? What do you want us to do about it? Fingerprint it and put it on crimewatch?"

If there is a better route than this? Crimestoppers, perhaps? Tried to submit a general enquiry on the Met website, but can't get it to work. Will try from home PC later.

To be honest, the bike is not in a great shape - it is virtually unrideable in its current state so god knows where it came from (skip? dumped?) so although I will try to find its rightful owner, if I don't I will convert it.

I know I am in a moral grey area (to say the least) so if there are other ideas of where I can 'advertise' - or even thoughts on what to do with it - then cool...

If you go in to Brixton Police station and tell them you've bought a stolen bike they'll arrest you for handling stolen goods.

Hah!

Also my fear...

Just spoke to Met Police Control Room. The advice is to take it in, and they will check it against their records of stolen bikes... His parting words were... "...and if no-one's reported it, its yours to keep"

You paid £2 for it! all you can do is to go up to the police station and said "this is a possible stolen bike I managed to get off a crackhead, what can I do about tracking down the owner?"

I don't think the police would automatically arrested you for bringing a stolen bike to them.

who know that the owner probably (unlikely thought) report his bike to the police.

Hah!

Also my fear...

Just spoke to Met Police Control Room. The advice is to take it in, and they will check it against their records of stolen bikes... His parting words were... "...and if no-one's reported it, its yours to keep"

normally they'll record your details with the bike reference, and if no one has inquired about it within 28 days of your letting the police know, then you automatically become the legal owner of it.... in cambridge anyway

maybe put an 'ad' on gumtree with few details but like here ask for details and frame number. if the original owner is interested in finding it gumtree seems to be a logical place for them to start looking

normally they'll record your details with the bike reference, and if no one has inquired about it within 28 days of your letting the police know, then you automatically become the legal owner of it.... in cambridge anyway

I'd go with this too. Its how I now own my Stratton, which might be an old beater, but its a 531 frame made by a good builder with a Shimano 600 groupset. Not worth a lot, but it was free! But if you think it came out of a skip then no need to bother.