A MAN has been arrested after being spotted stealing a bike in York city centre.

North Yorkshire Police say a 30-year-old Doncaster man has been arrested and charged with theft after he was spotted stealing a pedal bike.

British Transport Police made the arrest at York Railway Station after the man was seen making off with a mountain bike and found in possession of the bike waiting for a train at the station.

Following his arrest, he was also linked to a further two cycle thefts reported by members of the public who had given detailed descriptions of their stolen bikes.

Police say they believe the man was travelling to York in order to steal bikes and then transporting them back to Doncaster to be sold.

He was charged with all three bike thefts and has been remanded in custody before appearing in court.

If you’ve had a bicycle stolen, please ring 101 to report this. The more detailed description you can give of the bike/s and any distinguishing marks will help us in our enquiries.

We also offer regular property marking events so contact your local neighbourhood policing team to find out when the next one near you is.

Acting Sergeant Lewis, from the York City Neighbourhood Team quote:

“This just goes to show how beneficial partnership working can be, we’ve taken a prolific cycle thief off the streets who was specifically targeting York to commit his crime.

“It’s a fantastic result and goes to show how seriously the courts and police take cycle theft.

“I encourage anyone who may have been the victim of cycle theft to report it to us.”