Published: 29 July, 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

SMASH-and-grab thieves who broke into an electric bicycle shop in Camden Town in the early hours of Tuesday made off with bikes worth £6,000.

A security door was broken in half at The Electric Transport Shop at the corner of Camden Road and York Way during the raid at about 2am.

Store manager Eddie Kehoe, 33, was working in the basement when he heard someone trying to get into the shop upstairs.

He said: “I was listening to music on headphones when I heard a bang. Initially, I thought it was a car crashing into a traffic island, but then I heard another one and realised someone was trying to get into the shop.

“I turned on the main lights in the shop and ran upstairs, but by the time I got there they had already grabbed four bikes and legged it. I could see them running down the road.”

Police officers dealing with another incident in York Way saw three men ride past on motorised bikes. 

They gave chase after the men shouted “Go, go, go” on seeing police, but the raiders escaped with the bikes.

“We have had three attempted burglaries but none have been successful,” said Mr Kehoe. “I have never seen a security door broken in half before and even the police were puzzled by the thieves’ methods.

“The good thing is, being electric bikes they all have a key and a lock which the thieves were unable to steal. All the big dealers have been told about the theft so they’ll be on the lookout if bikes turn up without those parts.” Although the store has never been raided before, it is the fourth time the company has been targeted. It has stores in Cambridge, Oxford and Bristol. 

Evans Cycles in Chalk Farm was the victim of a similar raid late last year when thieves used a moped to smash into the shop and steal three bikes.