'Shameful' theft of 10 Just Eat bikes and vandalism forces closure of Portobello hire point

The Just Eat Cycles hire point at Portobello has been closed temporarily after 10 bikes were stolen by a gang.

The hire point at Portobello has been closed after 10 bikes were stolen

In a statement, Just Eat Cycles slammed the vandalism and theft since the hire point was installed and said the decision to close was made "with regret".

The company added that the decision was made after 10 bikes were stolen on Tuesday evening by a "large group".

It said: "It's with regret that we have been forced to temporarily close our hire point at Portobello until further notice.

"Unfortunately this hire point has steadily become a hot spot for vandalism and theft since installation.

"This shameful behaviour has flared up significantly this week - on Tuesday evening 10 bikes were stolen from the hire point by a large group."

Just Eat Cycles added that they are working with Police Scotland to find a solution to the ongoing vandalism.

The company said: "As one of our most popular hire points, we understand that this closure will be deeply disappointing to many users.

"It is very unfortunate that the anti-social behaviour of a small minority has led us to this decision.

"We are working closely with Police Scotland to find a solution to this issue and will keep the local community and all of our users updated throughout this process."