THIEVES stole two mopeds from a city centre car park – only to dump one in the canal a short walk away.

A neighbour called police after spotting the moped submerged in the Worcester to Birmingham canal on Tuesday morning - a day after the theft from St Martin's Gate car park.

When police went to investigate, they discovered the second scooter had been dumped near James Close with damage to the ignition.

Both bikes have been recovered by officers who have asked anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area to get in touch.

One of the mopeds belonged to Jason Pitt, a student who parked it on the ground floor of St Martin's Gate at 7.30am on Monday to catch a train to the University of Birmingham.

When he returned to the car park in Pheasant Street at 6.40pm he found his Pulse Speed 1.25CC had been stolen along with a woman's white Yamaha bike.

The 20-year-old said police called him to say they had recovered the bike but he was not sure whether he would be able to ride it again.

"Forensics have only just finished looking at the bike but I'm not sure if it will be ride-able because there has been some damage.

"It shouldn't have happened, it shouldn't have been taken.

"I park in the same place every day and I thought it would be quite secure where I left it.

"I had been in uni all day and I came back and the bike was gone.

"I couldn't believe it had gone. I never expected anyone to take it.

"There was another chap there whose daughter had her bike taken as well.

"But at least it has been found, we will just have to wait and see what the damage is."

He appealed to anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area to contact police.

PC Mark Broughton, from Cathedral safer neighbourhoods team, said: "A member of the public called on Tuesday morning to report a motorbike in the canal.

"Our CSOs went out and had a look around and found a second one that was stolen discarded just off James Close.

"They were a couple of 100 yards away from the car park."

He appealed for anyone with information to contact police on 101 quoting reference numbers 711SC20022017 for the Pulse bike and 689SC20022017 for the Yamaha bike.

He urged anyone else who parked in the car park and had their bike stolen or tampered with to also call the non-emergency police number 101.