Man buys police auction bike - police seize it back as

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Man buys police auction bike - police seize it back as "stolen"

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/ ... ticle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

JULIAN Bailey has hit out at officers who confiscated a bike from outside his home after they suspected it was stolen – even though it had been bought at police auction months earlier.

The 49-year-old was looking after the former Royal Mail bike as he sold it on an internet auction site on behalf of a friend.

But he received a call from Gloucestershire police telling him the bike was stolen goods and they came and took it.

Julian said he was shocked because the bicycle had been sold at an auction of unclaimed stolen goods, organised by police earlier this year.


All that he has left with was the basket and he fears the bike is gone for good.

Julian, of Charlton Kings, said: "I am so angry. I feel like I have been branded a thief. It's said I have been handling stolen goods when it is their fault.

"It is the police that put the bike into auction so if that hadn't happened I wouldn't be in this position."

Police confirmed the bike was taken to an auction of unclaimed goods in May.

Julian says the bike was left unsold at the end of the auction and a member of the public bought it for scrap and took it to Twigworth Breakers, in Tewkesbury Road.

He said his friend then bought it from the breakers for £35 and asked him to sell it on eBay. It was bought for £90.

"I have a buyer giving me so much earache calling me a fraudster, a thief and a conman," he said.

"I was ready to post this off to him and now I can't."

Julian said he only knew of the problem with the bike when he got a phone call from police to say it had been stolen.

But he says when he tried to explain what had happened at Leckhampton Police Station, he hit a brick wall despite providing them with receipts.

Julian said: "They have refused to give it back. I feel violated that they came around my house when I wasn't there and took it. There is plenty of crime to be fighting, but they spend all this time on a push bike."

Police hold regular auctions of unclaimed stolen bikes and other goods. The money raised typically goes to charitable causes.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire police said a Royal Mail bike was recovered in March from an address in Gloucester. He said: "Royal Mail was given 28 days to collect it. That time elapsed and 54 days later the bike left us for auction on May 25 this year.

"We understand it went to a scrap yard and it then passed through several owners. On July 28, an off-duty postman saw a dismantled Royal Mail bike in a trailer outside an address in Ewens Road, Charlton Kings, and reported it to police."

He said the bicycle remains with the police pending further inquiries and is currently listed as stolen property.

[Thunderthighs]

As a "serious" cyclist, one question:

Why oh, why oh, why...would anyone WANT to buy a RM bike? LOL !

[johnsouthwales]

this can't be right.. when rm didn't bother picking it up, it's no theirs anymore, it belonged to the 'crown'..
i'm sure the auction house have a copy of the sale and all that and verify the sale and all that.. it's a pity the 1st buyer didn't pass it on down the line. it would be handy instead of being asked awkward questions like why are you riding a rm bike? lol. would arouse suspicion and i'd think a buyer would be pretty well fed up being pulled up all the time..

incidentally, how would they know which bike is stolen.. a pashley is a pashley. they all look the same to some lmao. someone could have gone for a day out on a train with the bike and someone by coincidence sees a stolen 'bike' 50 miles away and next thing he knows, the cops are around.

best stay well clear of them lol.. unless carrying am original document, even if rm gave away a surplus bike.

[andy2007]

The Police will have checked the serial number (or whatever it's called on a bike), to verify that it was the one the documents relate to.

What I've been wondering about though, is that if Julian Bailey is being accused of handling stolen goods. Then aren't the Police also guilty of handling stolen goods, by selling it in the first place?
I know that the Police can legally sell on recovered items after a set amount of time. But if they're no longer considered to be stolen goods, then how can Mr. Bailey be accused of handling stolen goods. It was either sold legitimately (so it's no longer considered to be stolen), or it isn't. And if it wasn't sold legitimately, then the Police at the auction, have broken the law. And should be arrested. And I can't see that happening, can you?
In other words, he's innocent, and deserves a public apology from the Police, for damaging his reputation, with their accusations.

[johnsouthwales]

it looks like it's changed ownership three times.. totally agree that the police themselves are guilty of selling stolen goods. the other two previous owners are guilty of receiving stolen item supplied by the police LOL. and, ebay have been selling stolen goods through their website.

aye, the serial number is stamped on the frame. actually, they don't really have to spend much time if anyone is unfortunate to be pulled over and questioned on why they are riding a postoffice bike. they just radio in, look up their computer for the frame number and away in 5 mins. providing nobody else reports it afterwards and becomes repetative