A THIEF crept onto a driveway in the dead of night to steal a motorbike.

Owner Brandon Edwards said he was frustrated to find the motorcycle was stolen from the driveway of a home in Ryeland Close, Blackpole.

The red, Yamaha R125, registration number KY67 HKP, was left with Brandon's mum whilst he is in the process of moving house.

He said: "Due to the move, the bike was left with my mum overnight.

"She got home from a concert on Sunday evening at 9pm, and the bike was still found on the drive. When she left the house this morning at 9am the bike was gone.

"It's frustrating as nobody heard anything when the bike was stolen, but we are in the process of trying to secure some ring doorbell footage from a neighbour to see if we can get any more information."

Stolen scooters are increasingly being used to commit further crimes, such as phone snatches, which are becoming increasingly more common in London.

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According to the West Mercia Police website, thieves only need a matter of seconds to steal a moped, scooter or motorcycle.

Disc locks and chain locks are both recommended by the police to help prevent motorcycle theft, as well as using a cover as a deterrent. 

Police advice also includes always using the steering lock, removing the ignition keys,  and to consider fitting a Thatcham-rated 1 or 2 alarm system with tracking, immobilisation, anti-grab and movement sensors.

A professionally fitted alarm system could also reduce your insurance premiums for the motorcycle.

Property marking is another way to help deter theft and makes it far more difficult for thieves to sell parts on.

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Smart Water is a popular method of property marking and is invisible to the eye unless a blacklight is used to detect it.

It can also help police identify parts and return recovered stolen bikes.

If you have information about the theft of the motorcycle, you can let the police know using the online ‘Tell Us About’ form on www.westmercia.police.uk.

 If you aren’t comfortable contacting us directly, you can pass on information anonymously to Crimestoppers, by calling 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website.