Isle of Man TT Races tourists reunited with stolen motorbikes

Two motorcycles have been recovered and returned to two tourists who were visiting Liverpool from Germany on their way to the Isle of Man TT Races.  

Op Needle officers successfully reunited the two bikers with their motorcycles after they had to make the journey to the Isle of Man without them. 

The motorcycles were stolen from Queens Drive, Walton, in the early hours of Tuesday 28 May, but the quick work of officers meant they were recovered the same day after a call from a member of the public reporting suspicious activity in the Walton area. 

The operation to get the motorcycles over to the Isle of Man was only possible through joint working with the City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, the Roads Policing Unit, Force Contact Centre and the DVLA Liaison Manager who arranged for the motorcycles to be transported over.

Sergeant Craig Winstanley, Op Needle, (pictured) said: “It is great to be able to reunite two victims of crime with their beloved motorcycles over on the Isle of Man so that they can enjoy the rest the TT Festival.  

"This was only possible thanks to great partnerships we have here in Liverpool between Merseyside Police and the business community.

"I personally want to thank the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for accommodating the two motorcycles on a later ferry and their assistance with reuniting the motorcycles with their owners in the Isle of Man once the ferry had docked.” 

The focus of Op Needle is to prevent theft of and from motorcycles, reassure motorcyclists and visitors to Liverpool City Centre, identify, disrupt and find those involved in the theft of and from motorcycles. 

Sergeant Winstanley said: “Merseyside Police and our partners are committed to preventing thefts of motorcycles and have launched Operation Needle to reassure motorcyclists and visitors to Liverpool City Centre and target those who are intent on stealing motorcycles during the Isle of Man TT Festival.”

The event, which runs from 27 May to 8 June, has racegoers travelling on their motorcycles and stopping in Liverpool to enjoy the city, before they continue their journey via ferry from Liverpool to the Isle of Man.

Please follow our top tips for keeping your motorcycle safe:
 
- Use a good quality lock, or two
- Always park in a well-lit area
- If riding in a group – lock your bikes up together
- Don’t park in the same place – vary your parking location
- Consider using a forensic marking system
- Look out for other bikers – if you see someone trying to steal a bike, don’t try to stop them, call 999
- If you see any suspicious activity around a bike, call 101
- If you have any information about motorcycle thefts or crime, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 
 
Anyone with information on bike theft is asked to speak to officers, message @MerPolCC, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.