Lewisham men released under investigation after tip-off found they were dismantling stolen motorbikes

Two motorbikes have been recovered and two men arrested on suspicion of theft after a tip-off in Lewisham.

Police were called to reports of the theft of a motorbike from the Wapping area on Friday, 23 October. Officers attended and an investigation was launched.

While working on the investigation on Wednesday, 28 October, officers received a call from a member of the public to reports of two men dismantling motorbikes in a garage in Lewisham.

Cops established the two bikes had been stolen, one from Greater Manchester and the other was identified as the bike which had been stolen from Wapping.

The motorbike which had been stolen from Manchester has now been successfully returned to its owner.

Both men, one aged in his late 20s and the other in his early 30s were arrested on suspicion of theft and taken to a London police station. They have been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

Inspector James Beattie, from the Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “This was a great result. A quick response from officers from Roads & Transport Policing Command saw two men being caught in the act of dismantling the motorbike.

“Police work around the clock to crack down on motorcycle theft. We encourage all users to follow the advice on vehicle security. By reporting thefts, it helps to build patterns of behaviour and leads to results like this one, where we have arrested two people and recovered not only the bike they were working on but a further bike, which can be returned to its owner.”

+ Further information on motorbike and scooter safety, including on the Met’s Lock, Chain, Cover guidance, can be found on the website