What to do if your bike is stolen

Thanks, Gaz, I'll work that into the OP. Good news, and it's good to hear that this modus operandi works. Why can the police 'pose as buyers' once they get to the scene, but not before? You seem to be saying as much:

Basically this is exactly what I am saying.

It's about the time it takes for police to get permission from on high to organise a sting operation; usually three or four days, by which time your bike may well be sold to someone else.

By organising the sting yourself, you bypass the need for this permission, and things can happen much quicker.

The need for permission is essentially the difference between, on the one hand, the police soliciting the appearance of a suspect by lying to them, and, on the other, a policeman acting on information about where and when a suspect is likely to appear in possession of stolen goods.