Recovering Stolen Motorbikes
Jamie Howell, director of Clevedon Motorcycles in North Somerset, dedicates his spare time to locating and returning stolen motorcycles. Over the past five weeks, he has recovered eight stolen bikes valued at approximately £50,000. Howell reports the recovered motorcycles to the police and reunites them with their rightful owners without seeking any compensation.
"I know the feeling of having something taken away from you and thinking 'that's it, you're never seeing it again',"Howell said.
Police Response and Impact of Motorcycle Theft
Avon and Somerset Police have acknowledged that motorcycle theft can significantly affect individuals' livelihoods and have made reducing this crime a priority.
Personal Motivation and Experiences
Having been a victim of motorcycle theft himself, Howell stated that his efforts to find stolen bikes are motivated purely by the desire to reunite owners with their property.
Owner's Perspective: Lewis Jeffries
Lewis Jeffries, whose motorcycle was stolen and later recovered by Howell, expressed gratitude for Howell's generosity. Jeffries' bike was taken from outside his home after he briefly went inside to retrieve his helmet.
"I'd spent the whole day walking around trying to find it in the local area and I had it delivered back to me for free with no expectation of anything in return,"Jeffries said.
"There's no one else really that goes around with the interests of other people at heart. Jamie goes around in his spare time recovering people's pride and joy for nothing and asks for nothing in return,"he added.
The theft left Jeffries feeling
"lost"and as though someone had taken his freedom.
Jeffries had posted a plea on social media regarding his missing motorcycle but was reunited with it later the same day thanks to Howell's efforts.
Howell's Intentions and Business
Howell emphasized that his motivation is solely to reunite owners with their motorcycles.
"I get people saying it must be good for business, but I was doing this before I even owned the business,"he said.
Advice from the Motorcycle Industry Association
Tony Campbell from the Motorcycle Industry Association advised riders to invest in quality security measures for their motorcycles.
"Even something as simple as a cover often helps as it makes the theft of the machine much more inconvenient,"he said.
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