Trader appeals for help to find helmet thieves

Derek Lammie in his Hawick motorbike shop.

The raiders targeted TWS Bikes, in Havelock Street, in the early hours of last Friday, December 2.

Initially, at 4.10am, a lone thief took two attempts to smash a pane of glass at the outlet’s showroom. He then made off with three helmets and various aerosol sprays.

Just over an hour later, the same man returned with an accomplice, and the pair grabbed further items from the window, including another four helmets.

The raids were captured by the shop’s closed-circuit TV cameras, and the owner of the business, Derek Lammie, has posted that footage on Facebook in a bid to identify the culprits.

That footage has been seen by more than 40,000 people already, and Mr Lammie is appealing to anyone who recognises the thieves or who is offered the helmets for sale to contact him.

He said: “We think they will be trying to sell the gear on, and we’ve had information that some of the items have appeared for sale on eBay and Gumtree.

“These people are just low-life.

“In the first raid, an unknown man smashed the window and then disappeared down the path by the leisure centre with three helmets.

“He then comes back with help and they took another four helmets and a bag filled with sprays and accessories before they ran away up Wilton Hill Terrace.

“There is over an hour between the first and second incident, so there is a good chance someone saw something that could help us and the police find them.”

Police Scotland’s area commander for the Borders, Chief Inspector Andy McLean, said: “The break-in involved the theft of a quantity of helmets.

“We have a lot of inquiries ongoing, and we are currently looking at CCTV images.

“The helmets are very distinctive-looking, so we are asking people to be aware of anyone trying to sell them or give them as gifts over the Christmas period. “We are asking anyone who thinks they might have any information to contact the police by calling 101.”

Mr Lammie is also asking potential witnesses to get in touch with him on 01450 370011.

To view the CCTV footage, go to www.facebook.com/twowheelsales