'I’m terribly sorry, but that’s my bicycle' - Journalist recovers stolen bike using AirTag

A London-based journalist managed to track down and seize his stolen bike back using an Apple AirTag, while the police could not help.

Ironically, Jim Waterson, the man behind London Centric, was in the process of setting up an investigation into bike theft in London - with the help of BackPedal, a stolen bike recovery service - when his own family e-cargo bike was stolen.

"Earlier that day I’d left my family’s electric cargo bike outside my home while dashing in for a Teams meeting with a group of London council communications directors..." Waterson wrote. "As the thieves who must have been watching my house knew, it is not a cheap bit of a kit. And by the time I went back outside, it was gone..

"All my hopes relied on a £28 Apple AirTag that I’d hidden in the bike’s frame," he says, referring the the GPS tracking device which can be fitted to anything an owner wants to keep tabs on, bikes included.

Waterson phoned the police to report the theft, and get an incident number, with the police saying they would call back within two days, which hadn't happened at time of publication. The operator also said to call back if he managed to track his bike to a precise address.

Apple's AirTags work using Bluetooth and nearby Apple devices to show you where they are using the "Find My" Network, before giving an exact location once you are very close with your phone. CW has reviewed them before, conclucing that, "overall Apple’s AirTag is an easy investment into bike security and an entry-level way onto trackers."

Waterson said that he found the AirTag signal emitting from a block of flats nearby to his home, and after being let inside by someone else who lived there, he called the police.

However, he reported that London's Metropolitan Police said that they could not help, given the bike was in a block of flats; Waterson told them he was going to attempt to recover the bike on his own, to which the operator said "that's up to you".

The bike was soon on the move, which helped - first to another block of flats, and then to a car park, where the journalist found his bike.

"I sprinted down the road, into a dark car park, and saw my family bicycle leaning against a wall," Waterson wrote. "Next to it was a man, dressed all in black with his face covered in a ski mask, standing by a black hatchback car with the boot open. He appeared to be getting ready to load the bicycle into the boot.

"High on adrenaline and shaken by the situation, I blurted out the words: 'I’m terribly sorry, but that’s my bicycle.'

"The man looked understandably shocked. He replied: 'Oh yeah? Well… I’m just going to my mate’s house upstairs.'

"'I’ll take this, then', I said, putting my hand on the bike more boldly than I expected. Seconds later he jumped into the car’s driver seat and sped away, leaving me with my bike — albeit lacking a front wheel."

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: "We understand the impact that theft and robbery can have on victims – it's an invasive and sometimes violent crime - and we’re committed to protecting Londoners and tackling this issue as we make the capital safer.

"Met officers are targeting resources to hotspot areas, such as Westminster, Lambeth and Newham, with increased patrols and plain clothes officers which deter criminals and make officers more visibly available to members of the community.  

"We continue to use data and technology to build intelligence and track stolen items to target offenders. We encourage people to report as soon as possible whenever they have been a victim of theft, so officers can investigate swiftly."