'Disgraceful' thief takes £1,700 bike after rider is hit by car

It’s bad enough to be knocked off your bike by a 4x4, but an opportunist thief in Yorkshire made off with a cyclist’s £1,700 bike as he lay injured on the road.

Shane Fitzsimons was left unconscious with a broken arm after the collision with a Mitsubishi Pajero on Broadlea Road in Bramley, near Leeds.

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Mr Fitzsimons told the Yorkshire Evening Post that as he drifted in and out of consciousness the thief made off with his Saracen Ariel mountain bike, despite the presence of several witnesses who stopped at the scene.

“It’s absolutely disgraceful,” he said. “There are some people who, if you laid there long enough, would chip the gold fillings out of your teeth.

“As I was lying there in the road I saw this guy on the bike. I was in so much shock I couldn’t say anything and he rode off.”

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The victim has been off work since the accident happened on August 25, and admits the stolen bike is worth nearly as much as his car.

Sgt Mo Gother told the Post: “It’s appalling that someone would steal a bicycle while its owner was lying seriously injured after a road traffic collision.

“We carried out extensive enquiries to try to trace the suspect but have been unable to identify him. CCTV showed a male wheeling the bike away up Broadlea Hill but the footage was not of sufficient quality to identify him.

“There were some names suggested initially for people who were said to have the bike but these were followed up and eliminated from the enquiry.

“Although some time has passed since the incident we would welcome any new information from the community about who took the bike or its current whereabouts.”

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Mr Fitzsimons' Saracen Ariel 161, which has distinctive blue gear cables, should contact police on 101.