Norwegian tourist has motorbike stolen from outside Washington hotel

The victim, who is touring the UK, was staying at a hotel on Emerson Road, Washington. He woke on Monday morning, July 31 to find his white BMW motorcycle had disappeared from the car park.

However, the bike was fitted with a tracker. The bike was not found in the immediate vicinity, but the tracking device led officers to a suspicious-looking van three miles away in Queen Street, Birtley.

The van had also been reported as stolen and was found with false registration plates. Police then recovered the van after forcing entry. The stolen bike was inside and has now been returned to the grateful owner, who is continuing his holiday. Enquiries are ongoing.

Inspector Patrick Hannon, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was amazing detective work by our officers who were able to locate the stolen motorbike within the hour and return it to its owner just two hours after it was first taken.

“Our team was quick to get to the scene and then go towards the tracking device which indicated where the bike had been taken to.

“From it being reported to us at just after 7.15am, the bike was back with the owner by 9.30am. His holiday is now firmly back on track and we hope he has a fantastic time.”

Inspector Hannon added: “We hope that this incident demonstrates how seriously we take reports of theft and how quickly we are determined to reunite people with their property.

“Our focus now is on bringing those responsible for stealing the motorbike to justice, so if any members of the public have any information please let us know.”

“As ever I would continue to ask the public to please continue to work with us by taking extra time to check vehicles are secure, property doors and windows are locked and that any valuables are kept out of sight.

“The public are our eyes and ears in the community and your intelligence is vital.

"We will continue to take positive action to address any concerns reported to us.”

Anyone with information on the motorbike theft should use Northumbria Police’s Tell Us Something page, or call 101 quoting NP-20230731-0138.