In a dramatic turn of events, thieves were caught in the act as they attempted to steal a bike from Bedford train station in broad daylight. However, their plans were swiftly foiled by courageous bystanders who intervened to protect the property.
Surveillance footage from the scene depicts two individuals clad in black attire and motorcycle helmets. They were clearly intending to make off with the bike. Yet, their efforts were met with resistance from a group of five quick-thinking members of the public.
Instead of allowing the thieves to succeed, a man wearing a brown jacket stepped forward. He had a long object in his hand. With that, he started hitting what is probably their getaway motorcycle.
Unable to get into the vehicle, one of the robbers can be heard clearly telling the other to “run.” The two guys then leave the place through a nearby alleyway.
The incident garnered significant attention after being shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by user Sabji Hunter. Many users praised the bravery of those who intervened.
Some of the comments were as follows:
‘This is what I like to see. Good on them. One for all and all for one!’
‘Well done, good to see there is hope yet for London.’
While commendable, some users cautioned against engaging in similar acts for personal safety reasons.
‘That’s quite irresponsible, they could have got hurt. The best thing to do is to call the police.’
The attempted bike theft highlights a broader issue of rising crime rates, particularly in urban areas like London. According to Statista, a bicycle was stolen once every seven minutes in England and Wales last year.
However, a Cycling UK poll indicated that the number may be as high as 237,000. It was also revealed last month that daytime thefts had hit a record level that hasn’t been seen in four years.
