Thieves ride off with teen's £4,000 bike
A teenage champion mountain biker has been left devastated after thieves broke into his garage and stole his prized cycle.
Josh Hodgetts, 16, woke to discover his red Intense Socom mountain bike, worth about £4,000, had been stolen from the garage of his family home in Claverham.
The raiders had also stolen his Suzuki RM 125cc motocross bike, which he had just bought and three other mountain bikes used by his mum, dad and brother.
Josh, who is studying sport at Weston College, is a champion downhill mountain biker.
He won the national championships in his age category two years ago and this year came third in the English Downhill Championships.
Mum Jane, a 42-year-old learning support assistant, said: "Josh is gutted. He worked really hard to pay for the bikes doing paper rounds and working as a landscape gardener at weekends and during the summer holidays."
It is believed the thieves levered open the garage and then cut the security cables which secured the bikes to the wall.
The total value of the haul is estimated to be around £13,000.
Call the police on 0845 4567000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 if you have any information.
10 Comments
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by JoJo, Bristol
Friday, September 26 2008, 10:19AM
“No more pranksters on these discussion boards please. . just be yourself.
Simon, I hope you are telling the truth . . if so, all the best to you.
As for this young lad, it's a shame people did this you him, I wish him all the best and tell the thieves Karma will come get you.”
by Emma, Bristol
Friday, September 26 2008, 9:45AM
“Simon
Today, people have been posting comments using other people's names. I really hope that this is somehow a prank and you are not truly telling us about your wife's death.
Yesterday she said how she walked into Cabot Circus to have a look around? Was that untrue or was she able?
If this is somehow a truth, I must offer my condolences to you and your family.
It would be hypocritical of me to say anything further.
Best wishes
Emma”
by Simon, Bristol
Friday, September 26 2008, 9:40AM
“To all the readers who regularly comment on here - my name is Simon, I am (according to some people) the long suffering husband of Anne who regularly writes on these pages. I know Anne said a few days ago that she was on holiday from work but unfortunately she was not on holiday. She was and has been suffering with breast cancer for the past year. Up until yesterday afternoon she was not too bad but last night took a turn for the worst and is now sadly no longer with us. She would sit in bed with her laptop commenting on these stories which helped to pass the time and usually I spent my days with her, just watching. To the guy who said the other day I deserved a medal for being with Anne for 24 years you are wrong. It is her who deserves the medal for going through what she has gone through for the last year. So, if any more comments come on here from Anne, they are from someone else and not my wife.”
by Paul, Bristol
Friday, September 26 2008, 9:40AM
“Morning Emma and Everyone else, I think as long as you have insurance you are pretty much doing all you can!
Sounds like if the thieves were going to break into a secure garage, then cut a steel cable before removing all the bikes there wasn't much more the bloke could have done.”
by Emma, Bristol
Friday, September 26 2008, 9:24AM
“Morning Paul
My partner invested in CCTV for our garage as he stores his jet ski, motor bike etc in there.
And would you believe, the neighbours complained about it? Tried having them removed.
So who knows what the solution is.”