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A thief has been caught on camera stealing a bike belonging to an NHS staff member working on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis.

The man was filmed ripping the bike from a gate outside the Leicester Donor Centre, where its owner works as a housekeeper, at 6.10pm on March 24.

Karen Ellis, the manager of the Donor Centre, said the man also swore at the member of staff as he pedalled away. The woman used her bike to get to work everyday, and had been working extra hours in the effort against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Ellis said: ‘It literally took 15 seconds for the bike to be gone. It’s very worrying. This member of staff was only at work at this time of day because she was doing additional hours to help us during the Covid-19 crisis.


The thief made off with the bike on March 24 (Credits: BPM MEDIA)

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‘With the city on lockdown, it seems that more opportunists are in the area, taking advantage that there are fewer people on the street to witness their crimes.

‘It makes essential workers who have to come into the city feel very wary of their safety and we are working hard to ensure people are safe to continue doing their essential roles.’

Ms Ellis described how the owner of the bike had shouted at the thief ‘hey that’s my bike’, to which he replied: ‘Well it’s not now!’.

She told Leicestershire Live: ‘Now the shock has worn off there is an underlying sense of anger about the situation – what gives people the right to behave like this to anyone?

He swore as staff as he escaped (Picture: BPM Media)

‘We are living in a time when we all need to support each other and pull together and it’s very saddening that a small fraction of the community is taking advantage of the situation.

‘If this person had not been an NHS employee she would have been safe at home when this happened – it almost feels like essential workers are now being targeted because we have to go to work each day and it is frightening.’

Leicestershire Police say no one has been arrested in connection with the incident.

The bike is described as an Optima mountain bike, with a predominately white and silver frame and a pink section towards the front wheel.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Guildhall Lane or speak to police via 101.