Bike thief went on summer stealing spree

A thief who spent his summer stealing more than £4,500 worth of bikes has been jailed.

Benjamin Trayford, 32, stole nine bikes across Peterborough and Huntingdon between 5 July and 5 August.

The first was at about 6.30pm on 5 July, when he was seen on CCTV stealing a bicycle worth £385 in High Street, Fletton, Peterborough.

He was finally arrested on 17 August, after being found sleeping in the back of a car in Myrtle Avenue, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough.

Trayford, of Saltmarsh, Orton Malborne, was sentenced to 11 months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court yesterday (3 October) after admitting 13 offences.

PC Sonny Pepper, who investigated, said: “Bikes can often be the main mode of transport for people, and to have this taken away from them can cause a lot of trouble for them.

“If you have become a victim of bike theft, I urge you to report to us so we can identify and put the offenders before the courts.”

The 13 charges were:

• Theft of washing products worth a total of £37.47 from B&M, Ortongate Shopping Centre, on 12 June
• Theft of a bicycle worth £385 from High Street, Fletton, on 5 July
• Theft of a bicycle worth £500 from outside Budgens, Valley Park Centre, Woodston, on 6 July
• Theft of a bicycle from outside Anglia Ruskin University, Bishops Road, Peterborough city centre, on 10 July
• Theft of a bicycle worth £700 from St Benedicts Court, Huntingdon, on 11 July
• Theft of a bicycle worth £800 from Westgate, Peterborough city centre, on 19 July
• Theft of a bicycle worth £100 from a house in Belsize Avenue, Woodston, on 23 July
• Theft of a bicycle worth £600 from Viersen Platz, Peterborough city centre, on 23 July
• Theft of three parcels worth a total of £210 from a house in Peterborough Road, Whittlesey, on 25 July
• Theft of various items worth a total of £472.84 from Iceland, Ortongate Shopping Centre, on 31 July
• Theft of a bicycle worth £500 from a house in All Saints Road, Millfield, on 4 August
• Theft of a bicycle worth £350 from Viersen Platz, Peterborough city centre, on 5 August
• Theft of various items worth £126.78 from Tesco in Staniland Way, Werrington, on 8 August

Advice on how to protect your bike from theft can be found on the force’s dedicated bike security webpages.