Scots 'bike thief' caught in act as onlookers from tour group left stunned

A brazen Edinburgh thief stole an expensive bike in broad daylight - right in front of a stunned tour group. The capital visitors were left "baffled" by the bold actions of the crook.

The audacious theft took place around 12.45pm on Sunday at Hunter Square. City tour guide, Almut Echtler, was leading her group when the shocking incident unfolded before their eyes, Edinburgh Live reports.

She expressed their collective disbelief at the sheer nerve of the act. Almut shared: "I witnessed a bicycle theft at 12.45pm, and just wanted to put it out there in case anyone has seen the bloke, or spots the bike for sale online, or is the owner of the stolen bike.

"I'm a tour guide and was taking my group through Hunter Square when I noticed someone having a go at a bicycle lock with a massive pair of pliers. I asked them if it was theirs but they continued frantically and eventually got it cut and scarpered.

"Members of the tour group snapped photos and a video. I was baffled at the audacity of nicking a bike in broad daylight in front of loads of people and in hindsight wish I had just grabbed onto the bike."

This incident comes in the wake of statistics revealing that bike thieves in Edinburgh are getting away scot-free. Police Scotland failed to solve nine out of ten bike thefts in the last three years.

Despite a whopping 14,000 cases being reported during this period, the detection rates remain shockingly low, as revealed in a freedom of information request.

Between January 2020 and December 2022, Edinburgh experienced a concerning 4022 thefts, yet only a scant eight per cent led to 'detection', where sufficient evidence was gathered to proceed with criminal charges.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland stated: "Around 3.20pm on Sunday, June 16, we received a report that a bike had been stolen from Hunter Square, Edinburgh. Enquiries are ongoing."

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