A thief has been jailed after he stole a bike that was fitted with a police tracker.
Darren Considine, 28, was caught within minutes of taking the bike after he was also filmed in the act by CCTV.
Considine, of Beauchamp Road, in Kenilworth pleaded guilty to the theft and was jailed for 12 weeks.
Sergeant Trent McMurray from Warwickshire Police said: “The force has a range of items containing police trackers that are placed strategically around the county to deter and help us catch such criminals.
“We know that a high percentage of bike theft is opportune – someone sees a bike that has not been secured and simply takes it and rides away on it.
“This can have huge financial implications for the victim, as well as the distress of having something stolen.”
The theft happened on November 21 in Leamington, Warwickshire when Considine was filmed on CCTV stealing the bike, no knowing it contained a police tracking device.
He was then pursued by officers and the bike was later recovered from a field.
Considine was arrested and charged, while he was also wanted for breach of court order, and appeared at Warwickshire Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, November 27, where he was jailed for 12 weeks.
Sgt McMurray added: “The bike is part of our ongoing crime reduction campaign and is designed to make thieves think twice before stealing something.
“Considine was tracked within minutes of stealing the bike, so it is an excellent example of how effective this tactic is.”
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Earlier this year, a thief stole and then later returned a $5,000 road bike in the US.
The man was test riding the BH Ultralight EVO Disc before he sprinted out of the car park and away from the owner.
He then later returned with the bike and handed it back to the store.
