Disabled people are benefitting from thousands of pounds worth of bikes donated by Birmingham police.
Fifty bikes − valued at around £3,000 − have been donated to Cycle Chain, a group which trains people with visual impairments or recovering from mental illness in cycle maintenance. The donated bikes were seized by officers during a search of a house in Cotterills Lane, Bordesley Green in March following a tip-off that the tenant was stockpiling hundreds of new and used bikes and prams.
None of the items were security marked or registered for free on the property database immobilise.com forcing officers to release images of the bounty and appeal for people to come forward if they spotted their belongings. Despite this and checking month’s worth of crime reports from across the city, none of the bikes were claimed. With no victims identified and no direct links to any crimes, the man whose home was raided was released without charge. But city magistrates didn’t believe the bikes were legally obtained and granted police ownership in June.
PC John Cunnion, led the operation to seize the bikes and was responsible for the donation. He said: “West Midlands Police has a long and proud history of ploughing the seized proceeds of crime back into the community. We’ve worked with Cycle Chain for many years and we never fail to be amazed by the remarkable work they do and they way in which they transform lives. They were our natural choice when faced with the prospects of disposing of the bikes.”
Mark Duce from Birmingham’s Cycle Chain, said: “The bike donation is such a boost for us and we are really grateful to the police for keeping us at the forefront of their minds. The bikes will provide plenty of opportunities for our team members and will enable us to make the bikes look like new.”
Cycle Chain was founded in 2002 training people in bike maintenance to build new skills and improve confidence. The reconditioned bikes are then sold to raise cash for the group.
The organisation, based on a narrow boat moored at Cambrian Wharf off King Edwards Road also offer a repair and parts service.
To find out more visit: www.cyclechain.org