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A nurse was forced to walk 45 minutes home after heartless thieves stole her bike outside the Queen's Medical Centre.

Karen Udtohan, 29, had just clocked off after nearly a 13 hour shift helping patients suffering with the deadly Covid 19 virus.

She was about to bike home to Castle Boulevard when she noticed thieves had taken her bike on Wednesday, March 25.

She said: "It was a night shift - 7pm to 7.45am. I wanted to avoid taking a bus or taxi because there is a high risk of passing on the virus.

"I was so tired from the shift.

"When you are at QMC you are always on your feet and then sadly your ride to get home is no longer there.

"I ended up having to walk home. It killed my time to have a good rest, ringing the police and letting security know. I felt devastated."

Mrs Udtohan is a staff nurse who works on the ward looking after patients admitted with confirmed or suspected Covid 19.

At the moment, she is looking after around 10 patients, but it changes daily.

Most of the patients admitted are elderly who are experiencing shortness of breath.

"I was looking around for the bike and thought I must have put it somewhere else," she added.

"I was really trying to be composed because of this situation and trying to save lives, and then someone has stolen the property you have - your mode of transport to get you to work and your home.

"We really need our bikes because the buses do not have the normal timetable and it is much safer.

"It was a 45-minute walk home."

She said people had already come forward offering to donate her a new bike.

But sadly, Mrs Udtohan was not the only NHS worker to be targeted by callous thieves.

Thieves have stolen 'multiple bikes' at Queen's Medical Centre between Wednesday, March 26, and Thursday, March 26.

Another NHS worker trying to save lives from Covid-19 on the adult critical care ward at the QMC noticed his bike had gone when he finished his shift at 2am.

He said thieves had 'stolen' his way into work as he relied on the bike to get him into the hospital.

Another NHS worker was also targeted on the same day after finishing her shift at 7.30pm.

It had been secured with two locks outside the main entrance but thieves still managed to dismantle them.

She had been using her bike in order to avoid public transport so she remained fit and healthy to deliver frontline healthcare to the patients at the QMC.

There have been six deaths so far from Covid 19 at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which covers the QMC and the City Hospital.

Police said they will hunt down those who have targeted key workers, with Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping calling the spate of thefts 'evil.'

Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police, Craig Guilford sent out a message to the thieves who had targeted those working around the clock to save lives across the county.

He said: "This reflects how low some people are prepared to stoop and we will investigate these offences fully.

"We are focusing on those who are targeting key workers who are currently saving lives."

(Image: Nottingham Post)

Mr Tipping added: "It has brought out some bad practice and to steal from key NHS workers is evil and we will work hard to catch the people involved."

Superintendent Mathew Healey, city area commander for Nottinghamshire Police added: "Officers are investigating reports of multiple bike thefts from Queen’s Medical Centre.

"Multiple bikes are thought to have been taken from the Cycle Store and Croft Car Park between 7pm on Wednesday, March 25, and 8am on Thursday, March 26.

"The bikes belong to key workers and it is disgraceful that people would take something belonging to people battling Coronavirus on the frontline.

"We are committed to finding who is responsible for this deplorable act and will ensure that appropriate action is taken to bring them to justice.

"I would urge anyone with any information about the thefts to get in touch with Nottinghamshire Police on 101 and quote incident number 39 of 26 March 2020."