Manchester Police sting bike thieves with helicopter help

Police across Greater Manchester have been stamping out motorcycle-related crime in a number of recent operations, recovering two stolen bikes during a raid in Manchester, and stopping three riders following a dangerous pursuit along a canal towpath in Wigan.

At around 8am on Sunday, September 8, local neighbourhood officers in Manchester conducted a warrant search of a properly on Burnage Lane, locating and recovering two stolen motorcycles.

A 16-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of two counts of robbery and possession of cannabis, with the bikes – a Yamaha RayZR scooter and MT-125 naked bike – successfully returned to their rightful owners.

“This is a great result for our team and means the two victims of crime can be reunited with their stolen property,” Sergeant Stuart Farrell, from the Burnage Neighbourhood Team, said. “Crimes such as burglaries, thefts, and robberies can feel very personal, and we will always take action to reunite people with items.”

Elsewhere, a National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter above Wigan spotted three riders with no helmets on travelling along the banks of Manchester Ship Canal on August 31 – two using electric off-roaders and another aboard a Honda CBF600 road bike.

Following the successful deployment of a stinger, the Honda was dumped on the canal side, with the trio then making off on the two electric machines. They were then tracked by the helicopter narrowly avoiding pedestrians, riding against the flow of traffic, and running red lights.

A man in his 20s was eventually arrested on suspicion of disqualified driving and bailed, with all three bikes recovered.

“I know for a lot of residents this has been an area of concern for a long time, and I am now delighted to be able to let them see an insight into how much time and resource has gone into dealing with these problem riders,” Sergeant Dan Canavan said.

In the two weeks leading up to September 6, Wigan police seized eight bikes and two quadbikes, with two motorcycles and one four-wheeler confirmed as stolen. 

Sportsbikes stolen

Leicestershire Police are searching for three missing sportsbikes stolen from the Glen Parva area. They were taken between 2am and 3am on Sunday, August 11 and remain unaccounted-for. They were stolen after burglars broke into a garage on Greendale Road and consist of a yellow Suzuki GSX-R750 (KX54 LDD), a blue Suzuki GSX-R1000 (KT68 WCP), and a black Honda CBR600RR (FE05 PRX). Anyone with information should visit the Leicestershire Police website now.