Over the past two-and-a-half years Jeremy Devereux has unexpectedly earned himself the title of Perth's 'bike Santa'.

Since discovering his knack for repairing the two-wheelers in 2015, the father-of-two has fixed up and given away more than 1500 bicycles to adults and children who can't afford their own.

But on Wednesday, he told WAtoday he had been forced to put his selfless repair hobby on hold after a group of children began stealing bikes and tools from his Beechboro yard.

"About two weeks ago I had a kid show up at the gate asking for a bike," he said.