BRITISH Transport Police are appealing for information after a £1,500 bike belonging to a Keighley man was stolen from Skipton Railway Station.

Officers have released pictures of the bike in the hope that someone may have seen it.

PC Jo Kellert, the investigating officer, said: "The bike was stolen from the cycle racks in the car park at Skipton railway station between 1.30pm and 9.40pm on Monday, October 20. The owner, a 48-year-old man from Keighley, had secured it to the racks and returned later to discover it had been stolen."

The bike is a black Lapierre Cross Control 229. It had a Garmin Edge 800 computer attached to it.

PC Kellert added: "If you have been offered the bike or have seen anyone riding it, we would like to hear from you.

"BTP is cracking down on cycle theft and wants to send a strong message out to thieves that we have a dedicated team of officers specifically focused on tackling this type of crime. We are undertaking plain-clothes and high-profile operations to catch thieves in the act. Thieves should also be aware that most cycle racks are covered by CCTV so it’s only a matter of time before we track them down.

"We are also working closely with cycle and second-hand shops in the area and monitoring online sites such as Ebay and Gumtree to make it more difficult for thieves to sell on stolen property."

British Transport Police can be contacted on 0800 405040 or via text on 61016, or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111. In all calls please quote log PSUB/B2 of 23/10/14.