A Raleigh Chopper enthusiast has had four of his bikes, dating back to the 1970s, stolen in what appeared to be a targetting robbery in Celbridge, Co Kildare.
Aidan Herdman, who runs the Irish Raleigh Chopper Club, kept the bikes in a shed in his home. While his side entrance and shed were both locked - the shed secured by a steel door - the thieves cut through the locks.
Herdman told stickybottle he believes the thieves were only interested in his Choppers as other bikes that were in his shed were left untouched.
He had advertised one of the bikes for sale on line and had showed it to prospective buyers and his home and suspects that one of the people who came to see the bikes passed on information leading to the robbery.
Advertisement
Related News
The bikes were stolen at 12.40am on Thursday, December 16th, when two men cut through the lock on the side entrance and shed and made off with the bikes. Herdman's CCTV camera at his home recorded the men entering through the side gate while a black Series 5 BMW was recorded outside the house around the time of the robbery.
"The bikes ate dated between 1970 and 1978," Herman said, adding he had one of the bikes 18 years and had only bought another - an Mk2 Platinum Chopper - three months ago.
"I was recently offered €2,500 for the platinum Chopper, the total value of the other three is about €3,500," he said of the estimated €6,000 value of the stolen bikes.
"The Raleigh Choppers were specifically targeted as the other bikes in the shed, two road bikes and a mountain bike, were left untouched."
Anyone who spots the bikes or sees them being offered for sale is asked to contact Celbridge gardai or the Irish Raleigh Chopper Club.
