Joyride kids' £30,000 haul of motorbikes

Police have logged more than a dozen snatches from Bexhill sheds and garages in the last few weeks.

The majority of the motorcycles being stolen are in the lightweight class - 50cc to 125cc. They are mainly taken by youths to be ridden off-road and trials-style machines are the favourite target.

A map at the Police Station is littered with ringed symbols indicating recent motorcycle thefts.

Sergeant Dave Costigan said: "These thefts happen because many of them are left in the garden or in a shed and not chained to a ring-bolt in the floor.

"Even if you have locked and chained the back wheel, all they do with the lighter machines is lift the back wheel off the ground and run it along on the front wheel if it is not chained to the floor.

"They look mainly for motorbikes with a trials capacity to use on the local recreation grounds and fields.

"What happens is that they take off the number plate and take a cold chisel to the engine number, making it difficult for police to prove the bike's identity, and sell the bike for something like 45 or 50."