Injured kid's £450 bike stolen

A TRANENT (near Edinburgh) teenager's luck went from bad to worse on Sunday when he badly injured his hand while riding his BMX - then was shocked to witness a callous thief swipe the bike from his back garden just two hours later.

Christopher Russell (pictured), 13, had had his chrome silver Haro BMX bike, worth £450, for just four months before it was stolen from the rear of his home on Carlaverock Court at about 11pm.

The theft occurred after the Ross High pupil returned home from cycling at about 9pm, having severely injured his hand on the chain of his bike.

He left the BMX lying at his back door, and ran inside the house for help from his parents, Jonny and Gillian.

After bandaging their son's hand, the couple decided to monitor the injury before deciding whether or not he required hospital treatment.

Some two hours later, Christopher spotted a thief enter the family's back garden and steal his BMX.

He told the Courier: "I ran straight in the house because there was a lot of blood. I had been stupid, I had put my hand in the chain to make sure it was turning and then it slid along and cut me.

"After I'd came in the house I'd asked dad to put my bike in the garage. We forgot about it, so I asked him again a bit later.

"I was in my bedroom [on the first floor] looking down into the back garden. It was really dark but then I saw someone come in and lift my bike. I couldn't believe it. I just ran down the stairs shouting for my dad but it was too late; by the time he got out there, the bike was gone."

A friend of Christopher's is believed to have discovered the bike dumped and damaged in the playpark within the Muirpark estate on Tuesday evening. Christopher, who returned to school on Wednesday, was still to positively identify the BMX at the time of going to press.

Dad Jonny added: "This was a totally opportunistic crime and it is disgusting. I couldn't believe it when he came through screaming that someone was lifting it out of the garden.

"He's only had the bike for four months but he has been on it all the time at Transgression Park (indoor skatepark at Peffermill Industrial Estate) practicing stunts.

"He's got really good at it as well.

"The thing that annoys me most is that my son is now afraid in his own home. He got a real fright."

After his bike was stolen, Christopher then spent the rest of the night receiving treatment in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and did not return home until 3am the next day.

The teen had broken the middle finger of his right hand, needed one of his fingernails removed and required several stitches.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: "The suspect, who was seen making off with the cycle, is described as male, white, late teens to mid-20s and wearing dark clothing."

An East Lothian Council spokeswoman said the street lights had been turned off due to a vandal damaging fuses within a secure control box on Carlaverock Court.

(Reproduced from East Lothian Courier, 14th June)

Gardien Comment: See the article on Bike Security at http://www.garden-security.co.uk/bike-security-print.htm