Two dealers have been quick to act after a new motorcycle was stolen by a gang who threatened a member of staff when he tried to intervene.
CMC Cannock sales manager Andy Benton was confronted in the forecourt of the Yamaha dealership by a claw-hammer-wielding thug last Friday while three members of the same balaclava-clad gang prepared to make off with a visiting customer’s day-old KTM Super Duke. The four criminals, who had arrived minutes earlier on two scooters, succeeded in the brazen daylight raid.
The terrifying incident, caught on CCTV, was all too familiar to Benton, who lost his own KTM from outside the Yamaha dealership a few weeks ago.
This time the victim had purchased the 1290 Super Duke R, worth £16,500, the previous day from KTM Stoke – The Potteries – and was visiting CMC Cannock with a friend, ironically to buy a disc lock. The devastated owner says he will not be buying another KTM.
CMC has been quick to react to the latest theft. Group owner Ross Feltham and senior management met on Wednesday evening to draw up plans for more security racks outside its dealerships, and are even considered providing the use of courtesy chains and locks for customers during their visits.
“We are gutted that this happened,” said Feltham. “We had CCTV up there and we gave the footage to the stolen bike’s owner and to the police on the same day in the hope it would help to get someone apprehended. Somebody who saw the theft says they knew who it was and this information was given to the police. I sometimes wonder how much attention the police pay to this type of thing. I think they take the view that no-one was hurt and the bike was insured.
“I know it’s easy to criticise but we had some motorcycles stolen from Cannock at night time and the thieves were brazen enough to post pictures of themselves on Facebook with the stolen bikes. The picture actually revealed the location but the police seem uninterested.”
Feltham believes it is the same gang responsible for the thefts, and for robbing Tamworth Yamaha.
DEALER’S GESTURE
To return to last Friday afternoon’s incident, Craig Cameron, general sales manager at The Potteries (pictured), which had sold the new machine the day before the theft and who previously worked for CMC for 12 years, has stepped in to help his customer.
“I was absolutely gutted when I read about the theft, on Facebook of all places. We are just trying to do something nice for this customer. I have managed to get a voucher off KTM for him to spend instore and we are going to match it, so he will have a grand to spend in the shop, whether or not he buys another bike from us.
“It’s a bit of a gesture. I also offered to provide him with a courtesy bike. I said I would deliver it to his house but he declined because he has got a couple of other bikes. He’s just a really nice, genuine guy.”
A spokesman for Stafford Police said: “We were called to reports of a robbery where a motorbike was taken from CMC Motorcycles in Watling Street, Cannock on 2 August.
“Men on two motorbikes stole a KTM Super Duke black and orange motorbike. One man brandished a hammer. He is described as a thin, white man with a white and black motocross helmet, navy blue tracksuit with stripes across the chest. The man who took the motorbike wore an all-navy tracksuit with dark helmet and white gloves.
“Anyone with information is urged to contact Staffordshire Police on 101 referring to incident 397 of 2 August.”
Police would also like any dash cam footage, taken between 2.45pm and 3.15pm yesterday, from anyone travelling along Watling Street, Bridgtown, who may have seen a group of males travelling on scooters.