Thieving Scum in Manchester today

Just had a weird run in with two bike thieves in Manchester this afternoon. I was making deliveries in the company van when I saw a couple of guys stood over a bike locked to a lamp post (end of granby row, princess street). Couldn't see what they were doing at first but I realised they had an angle grinder going. I managed to park up and go over but they had already walked off with the bike. I still wasn't sure at this point that they were definitely nicking it as there were loads of people passing and the guy with the grinder looked like he could well be a council worker etc.

I followed them down the street towards the universities an i could see the guy on the bike go one way and the guy with the grinder go another.

At this point I have a rush of blood to the head and start running after the guy on the bike (not sure what I would have done if i'd caught him) I didn't call out or anything but as I got near him he saw me, shit himself and rode off. I still had one chance at catching him as he almost smashed into another cyclists but in the end he got away.

I then went back to try and find the guy with the grinder to get a photo of him but i couldn't find him. At that point i was near the bicycle boutique so I went in and gave a flustered description of the scumbags to the guy in there...

Here's the description etc.

Guy who rode off was;

Black
Early 20's ??
Dressed in black with a bandana or headband.

Guy with grinder was;

White
Dressed in work trousers (scruffy) and work boots
He was carrying a large mains powered angle grinder with an extension lead ( i think they'd plugged it into a socket outside a chinese restaurant!)

The bike was one of those mtb jump-bike things (possibly the make x-rated) black. (i'll post it up in the stolen bikes thread if there is one for manchester group)

The moral of the story?? dunno - don't lock your bike within 20m of a plug socket? - If you see a guy wandering around with an angle grinder and an extension lead give him some kryptonite justice??

robbing twats.

did you look around to see if there was any CCTV? tell the police?

I managed to find a lost shopper/community support officer and they radio'd the descriptions in. I couldn't hang around unfortunately, i let the two women who'd watched the whole thing happen right in front of their office know that they'd witnessed a theft and they reckoned they'd leave a note on the lampost for the bike owner..

arnt those x-rated things pieces of crap they sell in halfords for like £70? wouldnt expect anyoen to go out of thier way to steal one infront of people.

makes it even worse

I go through there every day... depressing reading.

at least they're not cottoned-on enough to know that radio controlled cars are where the money's at.

delete that though just incase!

ps - if any regular posters want t know a safe place t park bikes in town all legit like then PM me and I'll let you know.

Saw three blokes trying to steal a mountain bike right outside the 8th Day on Oxford Road at 2pm today, people were just ignoring it so I went over and told them to fuck off and that I was on the phone to the bill, they ran off pretty quick after a few heated words but brazen beyond belief ffs.

One of them was a Mancunian lad, blondish hair under his cap and had a bit of a goatie, seemed like a smackhead to be honest. The other two were pretty big lads, skinheads, maybe Polish from the sound of their accents but could speak English?

maybe Polish from the sound of their accents but could speak English?

Probably Mirek?

A fijian guy I was in the army with had three guys come up to him and tried mugging him for his bike.....Lets put it this way- They didn't feel to good after their ordeal !! :-)

His bare knuckle boxing name back home was "Ben Brisco"....a name they probably won't forget!!

thats what im more bothered about, like someone actually trying to steal it off me than when its locked up