Teacher appeals for missing e-bike stolen from city centre

On Wednesday, October 9, Justyna Podraza left her electric bike chained to a newly installed bike rack on Fisherton Street while she went to meet a friend at Lah Koh restaurant.

This was at 6.10pm, and when she returned at 7.10pm, she found that the bike and chain had gone. 

Justyna said: "I phoned the police and posted the photo on social media. Soon after that, a friend of mine texted to say she saw the thief with my bike waiting at the corner of Winchester and Pennyfarthing Street.

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"Then, someone posted on Facebook that they had seen the suspect cycling along St Edmunds Church Street and he collided with a mother and her child who had been waiting to enter a house."

Justyna was able to contact the mother, who said that the male on the bike appeared to have 'lost control'.

Justyna says her wellbeing and personal safety have been 'shattered' since the bike was stolen (Image: Justyna Podraza)

She added: "She was scared of him so she refrained from entering the house. He then proceeded to cycle along towards Salt Lane but collided with the scaffolding on St Edmund's Church Street.

"He murmured something about the bike just starting up and walked along towards Salt Lane. The mother said she could hear an accent but wasn't able to locate it."

On Friday, Justyna saw a Facebook post which said a group of young people were cycling 'back and forth outside H&M narrowly missing pedestrians'. She believes this is her bike and that it may have been abandoned by the thief and then found by the young people seen on the Friday.

Call the police if you see this bike (Image: Justyna Podraza) She said: "I'm a primary school teacher and have lost my way of commuting to work which is very depressing. I found a way around it and obviously this is not the end of the world but my personal safety and wellbeing have definitely been shattered.

"I have been feeling vulnerable and my seven-year-old daughter has been having nightmares about it - coincidently one of her school teachers also had her bike stolen the day before so she thinks this is now the way it is."

Justyna asks that anyone with information calls the police quoting case number 54240119352.