NHS worker Spencer James has been left devastated after thieves stole his bicycle from outside a hospital.
The 25-year-old, who works in the X-ray department at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, had been using his bike for his commute from his home in Eccleshall.
He left it locked up in a bike shelter ready to ride back at the end of a shift, but returned to find it had disappeared.
It is the latest in a series of crimes against staff at the hospital, with several nurses having recently had catalytic converters stolen from their car.
Spencer said: “I left my bike at the hospital on Saturday, March 28 ready to cycle home from my shift on the Monday. My mum also works at the hospital so she was going to take me to work.
“When I arrived on Monday I walked past the main building at about 7.45am and saw the bike was gone. It was a big shock.
“When I told my colleagues later I heard about people having things stolen from their cars. I want to give people the heads up that this is happening and things aren’t always that safe there.”
Spencer reported the theft to security and the police, who are investigating. He said: “Security later called me and said the bike had been stolen around 40 minutes after I left it there. There is CCTV footage of the person going up to the bike and cycling off on it.
Most Read
“I thought it would be safe there because there are CCTV cameras and quite a few posters that say, ‘We are watching you’.”
Spencer bought the Boardman MTX 8.8 hybrid bike for £500 in September, ready to start using it regularly from the spring.
He said “Sometimes I do long shifts and instead of paying for a taxi home I’ve started to cycle backwards and forwards.
“I had been getting lifts in with my parents and getting a taxi home, which costs about £15 each time. I will have to carry on doing this now until I can hopefully get another bike.”
A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said the theft was being investigated and asked anyone with information to contact them.
He said: “We are appealing for witnesses after a bike was stolen from outside the main entrance of Royal Stoke Hospital.
“The bike – a Boardman MTX 8.8 Men’s – was stolen when a lock was cut in a bike shed between March 28 and 30.
Don’t miss
“It is described as large, silver and grey colour, with mudguards on the back wheel and main frame and reflectors on the handlebars.”
Stewart Robinson, secretary of the UHNM Unison Branch, said security had been stepped up around the hospital.
“The trust are aware of items being stolen as it was raised to them a few months back,” he said. “Apcoa, the management of the car parks across the sites have organised extra walkabouts across the car parks and the trust also sent out communications to staff.
“Bike sheds are provided for staff if they choose to use them which are accessed via a key card.
“It’s very sad that thefts happen, especially at a hospital site. Staff need to make sure that they be vigilant and report anything suspicious they see to the trust straightaway.”
Witnesses, or anyone with any information, are asked to contact the force, quoting incident number 124 of March 30, by:
• Facebook – sending a private message to the Staffordshire Police page
• Twitter – sending a direct message to the police account @StaffsPolice
• Website – report a crime via the police website here
• Phone – call on 101
Independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Drop a heart on our special map of gratitude to show your support for our NHS heroes https://www.thanksamillionnhs.co.uk/