A HOUSEHOLDER who claimed police were not doing enough to investigate the theft of her son’s mountain bike, spent three days picketing the home of a man she insists she saw on CCTV stealing the bicycle.

The bike was locked up in a car port at the home of Bob and Fiona Bateman in Madley Park in Witney when a thief cut the locks.

While police are investigating the incident, no one has been arrested or charged and the protest has no legal basis.

Recalling the theft, Fiona said: “I was annoyed, we all were. But our neighbours had CCTV footage of the man that stole it and we took some stills from it and put them on social media.

“Everyone was saying who it was, his name is well known. After we reported it to Thames Valley Police it seemed that not much was happening and I was hearing the same sentiments from other victims.

“So on Friday morning I decided to write my sign and stand outside his house. 
“I just wanted to make sure that people were talking about it and knew what was going on in their area. 

“This photo was taken of me with the sign after Spotted Witney Facebook team had dropped off a bunch of flowers and hot chocolate for me.
“I could only spend three days out there – 8am-4pm, as I had to go back to my day job.”
Bob said: “My neighbours have CCTV so we saw him on that.

Two more bicycles were stolen after that and this man was seen loading up a transit van with bikes. 

“The day after the theft someone told us where he lived and we saw him in the Co-op and I took a picture. Then we followed him home.

“We asked his neighbours if they knew him and my wife made a sign the next day.” 

The protest came amid a surge of bike thefts in Witney, with one lone crime-fighter flooded with messages after he set up a website to share details of when and where the incidents are happening in the hope the cycles can be traced.

Thames Valley Police said they received reports of a theft at around 1.25pm on Wednesday, November 17 on Campion Way, Witney.

“Officers are currently investigating the incident, and ask anyone with information to contact the police and quote reference 43210520290.”

They added: “We would always encourage the public to report thefts to Thames Valley Police, either by making a report online or by calling 101. If there is a crime in progress, then the public can call 999.

“We would also signpost the public to crime prevention advice with regards bicycle theft on our website.”

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