Norwich: Bike stolen outside Heathgate Londis shop in NR3

Alexander Christian has shared CCTV images of the theft, which happened after he had left the bike outside the Londis in Heathgate at around 6pm on Sunday, July 9.

Mr Christian, who called the police immediately after the incident, said he saw the thief take the bike before doubling back and potentially entering a nearby block of homes.

The incident took place at around 6pm on Sunday (Image: Contributed)

READ MORE: Norwich 999 call handler talked young girl down from bridge

"My partner and I knocked on a number of doors in the area, showing locals the CCTV images and asking if they knew the man," he added.

"The owner of the Londis store said he knows the thief as he 'goes in there four to five times a week' and said he has had problems with him before."

The bicycle is a Saracen Mantra converted e-bike that Mr Christian spent the lockdown upgrading.

He converted it for recreational use as part of a lengthy project.

It features a grey and black colour scheme and includes a luggage/parcel shelf.

The incident comes as Norwich police announce a crackdown on disorder, drug taking and anti-social behaviour across the city.

Another CCTV image of the theft (Image: Contributed)

READ MORE: Norwich East police clamp down on anti-social behaviour

A spokesman for Norfolk police confirmed an investigation to catch the bike thief was under way.

"This was reported to us on July 9 at 6.07pm," they said.

"We are investigating and anyone with information or footage can call Norfolk Police on 101 quoting crime reference 413 of 9 July 2023."

Statistics revealed by the Liberal Democrats earlier this year found that almost 90pc of all bicycle theft cases reported to police in 2021-22 were closed without a suspect even being identified.

The data, for England and Wales from July 2021 to June 2022, showed just 1.7pc of the total of 74,421 bike thefts resulted in someone being charged.