Serial offender charged with large number of motorbike thefts

A man from Bristol has been arrested and charged following 38 bicycle, motorbike and vehicle theft-related offences.

Tyreece Ancel, 18 of Danby Street in Lockleaze, Bristol, has been charged with 18 counts of theft of a motor vehicle, seven counts of burglary, six counts of driving whilst disqualified, six counts of driving without insurance, and one count of theft.

Mr Ancel appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court last week and has been remanded in custody. He is scheduled to appear at Bristol Crown Court on 22 July.

Inspector Lorna Dallimore, who leads Avon and Somerset Police’s response to motorcycle theft and its associated anti-social behaviour said: “The charging and remand of this individual will come as welcome news to the motorbiking communities of Bristol, who we continue to work in partnership with in order to help them protect their motorcycles from thieves.

“This on-going partnership with the biking community and the Bristol Bike Theft Awareness group has led to a 39 per cent reduction* in the number motorbikes stolen in Bristol in the past twelve months. We will continue to keep up the pressure on motorbike thieves, working with the anti-social behaviour team, the youth offending team and the CPS, to ensure that those involved in this type of crime are dealt with in the most appropriate way.

“Crime prevention is a key part of our strategy; we would far prefer that bikes weren’t stolen in the first place and there are a number of things that bike owners can do to keep their bikes secure, including buying anti-theft deterrents such as chains, padlocks, disc locks immobilisers and ensuring that the bike is always locked to something immovable.”

*12 month period from May 2017 – April 2018: 770 motorbike thefts in Bristol
 12 month period from May 2018 – April 2019: 473 motorbike thefts in Bristol

Follow these tips to keep your motorbike safe from thieves

• Lock your motorcycle to something immovable like railings, lamp posts or a bike post. Keep chains as tight to the machine as possible and try to ensure they are off the ground.
• Park your motorcycle where it can be seen, not tucked away in the corner of a dark car park.
• Always lock your motorcycle at home. Use a cover over your motorcycle if it is outside. If you can, keep your motorcycle in an alarmed secure garage.
• Use a proprietary part marking system like Datatag or Alpha Dot to deter professional thieves and help trace your motorcycle if it is stolen.
• The use of approved anti-theft devices such as Sold Secure or Thatcham may help reduce your insurance premium.