Thieves make late-night raid on motorbikes

The gang managed to strip the front away from the metal shed in the Mavisbank area of Loanhead before wheeling the two 3,000 moto-cross bikes round the house and away.

The cable to one security light was snapped ahead of the raid, while a blue council bin was placed on top of another suggesting the robbery was well planned.

Owner Derek Connelly, whose bedroom window looks on to the shed, slept through the early-hours heist.

Mr Connelly and his 18-year-old son Michael were given the bikes for Christmas. They were not insured.

The joiner said: "We'd only been out on them five times. My wife opened the curtains in the morning and just shrieked 'the bikes have been stolen'."

The crooks were able to strip away two sheets of metal from what was a secure back garden shed. Then, from the inside, they loosened screws to move the front away from the sheds to steal the bikes along with a heavy stand, which Mr Connelly, 45, said would require a van to move.

Police are appealing for information on the theft, which took place at around 11pm on Thursday, 11 February.

The bikes involved were a yellow Suzuki RM125 and a green Kawasaki KX250.

Mr Connelly said he had his own theories on how the raid was planned.

Only weeks before three men, who claimed to have travelled from Broxburn, came to see one of the bikes after Michael looked into swapping his with a superior version on the Gumtree website.

The deal did not go through, but Mr Connelly said: "They arrived in a white transit van and one of them checked out the bike.

"At the same time the others were looking about the shed, almost as if they were casing the place."

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "These bikes were of great value to the owner, who is deeply upset.

"Anyone who was in the Mavisbank area and either saw or heard anything suspicious is asked to contact police."