My stolen Vespa found! But gone again
Discussion
Got a call from the police earlier this evening saying that my Vespa GT300, stolen in Dorking back in January has been found on an estate in Croydon.
They did say that it might not stay there. I now only live 6 miles away so headed straight out with the master key.
Needless to say, by the time I got there, 40 minutes later, it was gone.
Seems odd that it's obviously being ridden on its original plates. So much for APNR.
Also I was so excited and nervous that I completely forgot that even if it started with the key, I'd be uninsured and untaxed as well as no MOT. I'd be the one in hot water.
Odd that the police didn't secure it somehow. I do realise that they are busy, especially in Croydon.
But they obviously thought it warranted a check and found it stolen and went to the bother of contacting me.
Real shame to find it only to let it go.
I went to Croydon Police Station where they told me to call 101 and report it stolen ffs.
They did say that it might not stay there. I now only live 6 miles away so headed straight out with the master key.
Needless to say, by the time I got there, 40 minutes later, it was gone.
Seems odd that it's obviously being ridden on its original plates. So much for APNR.
Also I was so excited and nervous that I completely forgot that even if it started with the key, I'd be uninsured and untaxed as well as no MOT. I'd be the one in hot water.
Odd that the police didn't secure it somehow. I do realise that they are busy, especially in Croydon.
But they obviously thought it warranted a check and found it stolen and went to the bother of contacting me.
Real shame to find it only to let it go.
I went to Croydon Police Station where they told me to call 101 and report it stolen ffs.
Update:
It was found by the woman who owned the garage. It was in there with other stuff that was not hers.
She reported it to the police who checked the bike which had a false plate over the original (Not very pro?)
They in turn told Surrey police who then contacted me, but 24 hours later.
The woman said that the bike was outside her garage last night about 10 minutes before I turned up.
As a footnote, the police said that I had declined police recovery of the bike if found, when I originally reported it stolen.
I don't recall being offered that and I would have definitely said yes to it being looked after if found.
That is crap mate. Loved my LC.
I had my just run in Honda CBR600 stolen in the South of France in 1988. Ran it in on the way down.
Got a letter in French 2 years later saying it had been found. It had spent 2 years in a French racing series.
I didn't go down to Marseille to find it though.
I had my just run in Honda CBR600 stolen in the South of France in 1988. Ran it in on the way down.
Got a letter in French 2 years later saying it had been found. It had spent 2 years in a French racing series.
I didn't go down to Marseille to find it though.
I didn't claim mate as I didn't want to load my insurance for bikes or cars.
Seems it was found with false plates and 101 have just rung me back saying that they can't understand why the bike wasn't impounded as part of a criminal investigation.
Now it's out and about and free to do more crime.
Also it seems there was a gap of 24 hours between them finding it and me being informed.
Seems it was found with false plates and 101 have just rung me back saying that they can't understand why the bike wasn't impounded as part of a criminal investigation.
Now it's out and about and free to do more crime.
Also it seems there was a gap of 24 hours between them finding it and me being informed.
A500leroy said:
out of interest what do you tell dvla when they ask you to tax it for another year if you havent claimed?, If you sorn it and its spotted do plod come after you for using without tax and insurance as the registered keeper?
Police told them it was stolen and no longer in my ownership.Although I had to ring the DVLA just to double check and lo and behold! they had not heard from the police, so I had to chase it up. Apparently it is supposed to happen without the ex owner getting involved.
I was just paranoid about getting tickets etc for a bike I no longer owned so rang the DVLA just to be sure.
Good job I did.
sjtscott said:
The OP didn't pay for Police recovery this is their reasoning lol - he doesn't remember being asked about this which surprises me because that all they were punting me as they offered me a crime number for my stolen bike in 2005. At the time would I like to pay £125 on the off chance it was found and then it would be recovered to me - errr no because it was a GSXR600 and there was no way it was ever coming back which was 100% the correct thing to do.
Amazingly the OP would have stood more chance of getting done for going to recover it himself has it still been there with the key through having no insurance/tax etc.. the irony
Maybe it was a cunning plan by plod to get an easy bust by fitting me up Amazingly the OP would have stood more chance of getting done for going to recover it himself has it still been there with the key through having no insurance/tax etc.. the irony
Unfortunately thwarted by the thief himself.
Got a call last night from the police. Vespa has been found again and is in a police pound.
They want me at the station today to make a statement as the pc on the phone said that they are building a case against the guy who had it. Said it's part of a crackdown on moped gangs.
So once forensics have finished I can have it back.
I wonder what state it is in?
They want me at the station today to make a statement as the pc on the phone said that they are building a case against the guy who had it. Said it's part of a crackdown on moped gangs.
So once forensics have finished I can have it back.
I wonder what state it is in?
Yeah, the police have warned me about those costs plus it sounds like it's currently unrideable due to ignition barrel missing and no plates so it's probably best I get a van, get it home and then work out what to do with it.
It's not just the case of buying a new barrel as it may need a new ECU to talk to keys.
Begs the question, how do the thieves bypass the immobiliser? What is the point of this expensive addition?
It's not just the case of buying a new barrel as it may need a new ECU to talk to keys.
Begs the question, how do the thieves bypass the immobiliser? What is the point of this expensive addition?
Went up to the pound today as the PC said I could collect it but there seemed no way of knowing what condition it was in and no way to call the pound.
Hour and a half later by tube and foot I finally arrive in the ar6e end of Perivale and am standing in front of a guy behind sound muffling glass.
Despite having the correct paperwork they could not allow me in to look at the bike unless I was collecting it.
He did however, look for me and took some pics on his phone.
It is in a right state, every metal bit of bodywork dented and scraped, bits missing and wires with some sort of OBD style connector hanging out by the glove box, plus no number plate.
So it'll have to be a van and then it sitting outside my house until I can work out what to do with it, or it gets nicked again.
Beginning to wish it hadn't been found but need to get it now before the storage costs escalate.
Just want to say to the scrotes out there who have turned my 40 year love of biking into a ballach3 over the past 10 years, what with constant theft attempts and a success, spiraling and harder to get insurance costs, plus having to ride around with a ton of locks and chains.
Bunch of
ingys!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hour and a half later by tube and foot I finally arrive in the ar6e end of Perivale and am standing in front of a guy behind sound muffling glass.
Despite having the correct paperwork they could not allow me in to look at the bike unless I was collecting it.
He did however, look for me and took some pics on his phone.
It is in a right state, every metal bit of bodywork dented and scraped, bits missing and wires with some sort of OBD style connector hanging out by the glove box, plus no number plate.
So it'll have to be a van and then it sitting outside my house until I can work out what to do with it, or it gets nicked again.
Beginning to wish it hadn't been found but need to get it now before the storage costs escalate.
Just want to say to the scrotes out there who have turned my 40 year love of biking into a ballach3 over the past 10 years, what with constant theft attempts and a success, spiraling and harder to get insurance costs, plus having to ride around with a ton of locks and chains.
Bunch of
ingys!!!!!!!!!!!!Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff