Cycle theft after epic trip

HOTEL worker Kerrie Stritton cycled more than 2,000 miles from Nice to the Island without incident — only to have her bike stolen in Ventnor. Kerrie, 31, from Park Avenue, saved up the £500 she needed to buy her bike and spent 68 days cycling from the south of France back to the Island. Kerrie, who works in the family Eversleigh Hotel opposite her home, said: "I was with my partner, Paul Sears, and we cycled through seven countries, camping along the way.
Kerrie is pictured cycling in Switzerland. "After we got back to the Island, Paul cleaned my bike up but forgot to lock it up overnight and by the morning it had been stolen from the garden. "We had travelled all that way only to have it stolen days before I am due to take part in the round-the-Island bike ride at the weekend. "I’d really like to get it back, so I could take part on it. "Kerrie’s bike is an eight-month-old 27-gear Focus Medusa.•
Anyone with information can contact CID on 101 or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

(Reproduced from the Isle of Wight County Press, 19th September)

GARDIEN TIP: The theft of bicycles is unfortunately rife at the moment but solutions are available. See http://www.garden-security.co.uk/Steel-Storage-Unit.aspx for a range of high security steel storage units.