Edinburgh shoppers warned to be vigilant after £100,000 worth of new bikes stolen from shop which left owner 'devastated'

Leslie Bike Shop which was broken into on Monday morning (Photo: Google)

Police have warned shoppers to be vigilant when buying new bikes ahead of the Christmas season after a break-in at a bike shop.

Leslie Bike Shop Ltd, in Glenrothes, was broken into at the weekend between 2am and 3am in the early hours of Monday.

The owners posted on Facebook that around 60 bikes, mostly new and unsold, had been stolen leaving them "devastated".

They said: "As you can imagine we are all devastated, this is our livelihoods and to have this happen has hit us all very hard. I'm currently working through a list of bikes stolen and will post them up ASAP."

Officers said inquiries are ongoing into the incident and urged anyone with information to come forward.

They added those looking for new bikes as Christmas presents should be more aware as those responsible for the crime are now likely to be selling them, potentially in Edinburgh.

Detective Constable Fraser Simpson from Glenrothes CID said: "This is a despicable crime committed against a small local business and the property stolen is believed to be in excess of £100,000.

"We believe that a white coloured Luton type van with a tailgate was involved in this theft and was seen in the area of the premises between 2am and 3am on the morning of Monday, 9 December."

"These criminals now require to sell these bikes. I am urging people, especially during the lead up to Christmas, to be aware of people offering new bikes for sale, consider that they may be stolen especially if they appear a lot cheaper than would be expected and contact police if you are offered any bikes you are suspicious about."

"I would also ask that people share this information online to make sure that as many people as possible are made aware of the theft and can assist our enquires."

"Anyone with information can contact Fife Police by calling 101, quoting reference 0862 of 9th December, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."