A CYCLING shop has been “brought to its knees” by £400,000-worth of high-end stock thefts over several months, according to the owner, resulting in it having to shut down.

CycleSwitch owner Adam Broadhurst has had to lay off all three staff members from the shop on Venture Business Park, Worcester, due to the losses.

Mr Broadhurst opened his first cycle shop in Malvern – UK Cycle Centre – in 2014, and then expanded the business by moving to Worcester at the end of last year.

The thefts were originally reported to police in February, with the shop then shutting down earlier this summer.

Mr Broadhurst is now looking to bring a civil claim for fraud to the suspected perpetrators, having got solicitors looking to take action against those he believes are responsible.

He is therefore appealing for the public to come forward with any information but his solicitors have advised him against releasing the full details of the case at this stage.

Mr Broadhurst said he and his solicitors have also “instructed a forensic accountancy firm to interrogate the position” to help bring the claim against the suspected culprit.

Appealing to the public, he said: “If you are aware of any information that may potentially be relevant or are aware of high end cycle stock in the Worcestershire area or nearby over the past 12 months being sold at less than market value to come forward.”

He said, in particular the brand Intense is of interest, but the thefts include others as well – adding: “we are only interested in the protagonists”.

“We have had someone come forward already with information which was really valuable.”

Just weeks before opening the new store, it was raided three times across November.

The company is a specialist cycle retailer offering customers the ability to part exchange and purchase discounted and pre-owned cycle products.

Mr Broadhurst is hopeful that if the issue can be resolved the company “could get back on its feet”.

“It’s a real shame things have gone this way,” he said, “it really means getting the strongest evidence we can to resolve it.”

Email adambroadhurst@cycleswitch.com or daniel.j.redmond@westmercia.pnn.police.uk, or call 101 citing reference 22-9695/18.