Road safety bikes stolen

Stolen bikes used to teach cycle safety to childen may not be replaced due to a lack of funding.

Six, mostly Raleigh brand, bicycles owned by the Wairarapa Road Safety Council have been stolen from a council storage yard in Bentley St, Masterton.

Council manager Dave Ryan said the theft of the bikes, worth about $2000 in total, was "disappointing".

"A lot of kids these days don't actually have a bike, mainly because of the cost factor, so the reason for the bikes on the road safety trailer is to make them available to those who wouldn't normally have access. We don't really have much funding to specifically replace them so it's a bit of a blow."

Mr Ryan said the thieves must have been quite determined as the yard and storage cage housing the bikes were locked.

One of the bikes had since been handed into police, after it was found dumped on the side of the road, but was in an irrepairable condition, with broken brakes and damaged gears. "It looks like it's probably not going to be worth replacing."

The bikes were used by police and Greater Wellington Regional Council "Pedal Ready" instructors, for holiday programmes and in schools throughout Wairarapa, to educate children on cycle safety.

"It is a great blow losing the bicycles as we approach better weather, the cycling programmes who use them have already received bookings from schools and the loss will hinder them."

Mr Ryan said there were five bikes left and hoped the stolen ones would eventually be replaced. "We've got to investigate whether we can replace them but we don't have that sort of money available to just go out and buy them."

Mr Ryan encouraged anyone who had seen the bikes to contact the road safety council or police.