A Nottingham bike thief cut through locks in a series of "brazen raids" across locations such as a hospital, university and college. Kyle Meli, 28, stole five bikes over a four-month period - the other two from a retail park and fast food restaurant.
Some of the bicycles cost thousands of pounds, Nottinghamshire Police said. Meli, of Westville Gardens, Nottingham, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, June 14 and was sentenced to one year in jail. He had pled guilty to five thefts of pedal cycles. Meli received a further four years in jail for a robbery in Waverley Street, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, on September 27. He stole a man's car after threatening him and dumped the vehicle at Beeston railway station.Meli's series of bike thefts began in Roundhouse Road, Derby, on October 6 where he stole a bicycle which had been locked in a bike rack.
He was identified by officers after they analysed many hours of CCTV coverage. Police Constable Matthew Holden, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Meli stole several high-value bikes by cutting through locks in brazen raids at busy locations. “The case shows once again the importance of good quality CCTV cameras as the footage was invaluable in identifying Meli as the offender."