Leighton Buzzard businessman thanks community for 'rallying round' after burglar targets e-bike shop
A Leighton Buzzard businessman is sending a heartfelt thank you to the community – who rallied round to support his business after a burglary.
Dave Allen, 51, of Allen's E-Bikes, received a mobile alert early on Tuesday morning (October 27) to inform him that the alarms had been set off at his High Street shop.
After posting CCTV footage of the break-in on Facebook, the response from the community led to the identification of a suspect – and the return of a stolen e-bike.
Dave said: "I'm really happy with the support from the community. People have been coming into the shop and talking to us.
"Everyone has been rallying round trying to name the person who did it.
"It's been really positive from that point of view."
The break-in happened at around 5am last Tuesday when a young man – who had most of his face covered – took a 'Batribike' that was behind the window.
Dave added: "He [the offender] smashed the glass window with a brick, then kicked in the glass and the whole panel fell out. Then he grabbed the bike.
"My shop has got shutters, which stopped him going into the main part."
Following the break-in, a forensics team visited Dave on the same day – but he says that an officer is yet to visit him.
Dave claimed: "Not a single police officer has come to the shop to talk to me.”
After Dave's cry for help on social media, including the CCTV footage, the bike was returned – but it has been damaged.
Meanwhile, the shop window has cost Dave £4,000 to replace – and his is still going through the insurance process.
"My insurance premium will be skyrocketing," he added.
The shopkeeper also revealed that just two weeks ago in another incident, an offender walked into his business and stole a bike.
After quickly posting an appeal on social media, the man returned the bike in just 20 minutes – before Dave had even had a chance to submit an online report to the police.
Dave runs Allen's E-Bikes along with his father, Mike, 74, and the shop has been established for six years.
A Bedfordshire Police spokesman confirmed: “Police were called just before 8.55am on October 27. A bike was taken and significant damage was caused to the shop window.
“The incident happened at around 5.10am and a scenes of crime officer attended two hours after it was reported.
“The bike has since been returned, and an investigation has been launched.”
Sergeant Amy Rankin from the Leighton Buzzard Community team added: “We are working hard to tackle and retail crime in the Leighton Buzzard area.
“Every report received into our control room is reviewed for evidential possibilities. There will be occasions where an officer may not be able to attend immediately due to operational demand and the need to prioritise incidents presenting the highest threat, risk and harm.
“We would encourage people to report incidents or any relevant information directly to us. This helps our team build an accurate picture of any ongoing issues, identify patterns and trends, and consider the most appropriate response alongside partner agencies where necessary."