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Moment David Cameron became a victim of crime
Benedict Moore-Bridger and Danny Brierley24.07.08
This is the moment Conservative leader David Cameron realised his bicycle had been stolen by a gang of teenagers.
He had chained up his bike inPortobello Road, less than a mile from his home, as he went into a supermarket to buy salad for dinner.
However, when he returned five minutes later, the bike was gone. Mr Cameron had chained it to a 2ft bollard, allowing thieves to lift both the bicycle and the lock clear.
The moment that the 41-year-old politician realised his mountain bike had gone missing was captured on camera by a reader.
Today Mr Cameron said that he had reported the theft to the police but was not "holding his breath" for its return - nearly 20,000 bikes are stolen in London every year.
He added: "I was cycling home and stopped to pick up some things for supper. I chained the bike through the wheel then put it around one of those bollard things. I have reported it using the police's new online facility but I'm not expecting to get it back any time soon."
The bike is the one Mr Cameron regularly uses to cycle from his home to the House of Commons.
He appealed to the thief to return it, saying: "If anyone has seen it I would very much like it back. To me it was absolutely priceless."
Mr Cameron searched for about 15 minutes, asking passers-by if they had seen anything.
One shop worker, who asked not to be named, said the Tory leader at first could not believe he had been the victim of petty crime. He said: "He chained his bike to one of the bollards. There had been a couple of kids hanging around. They noticed he had chained it to a short bollard and they just picked it up and ran off.
"He was going up and down Portobello Road. He said, 'I am sure I chained my bike here and it is not here. I left it for five minutes - how can it be gone?' To start with he was not sure whether he had just left it somewhere else then after a few minutes he realised it was stolen.
"He was embarrassed and a bit annoyed. He was going round talking to people asking them if they had seen it - most people didn't recognise him."
At one point the Tory leader asked two men outside a betting shop in a desperate attempt to recover his bike. The shop worker added: "He was a bit cheesed off. One man asked if he could have his picture taken with him and he just said, 'Not now'."
The theft happened outside the Portobello Road branch of Tesco at about 6.30pm yesterday.
A Conservative spokesman said today: "Obviously David is quite hacked off by the theft of his bike, especially having locked it up. Unfortunately these kinds of incidents affect everybody and he is just going to take it on the chin and deal with it."
Reader views (10)
It's a good feeling, knowing you are funding some little yobs drug habit.
- Paul, Rochester. Kent
Welcome to the real world Mr Cameron. The world the politicians have made.
- Les, Surrey, England
He looks in good shape.
- Cleggy, London
The fact is it shouldn't be taken on the chin and just put up with. The thief is unlikely to be caught and will have a list of offences as long as your arm. The Notting Hill area has its bad spots; once Portobello Market was a great market to go to now its just a seedy crime ridden place.
- Dhanraj, basildon, essex
I have been in that exact same situation. Twice.
- Peter, London
Perhaps some obese bloke decided to get off his backside and help himself!
- Ian Steers, Spalding UK
Chaining his bike to a two foot bollard? he might as well have hung around and handed the thief his bike. God help us if we ever have to rely on Cameron to make some major decisions.
- James Hennessy, london england
It looks like he's stood outside a bookie, not a supermarket.
What was he doing there?
- Niall, London
It's a very unfortunate for Mr Cameron. If you want to be out there on the street as the common people then you are likely to be victim of theft/stabbing/shot like the common people.
- Jamal Ruhomaun, Croydon UK
I'm more worried about those shorts! Have they been reported as a fashion crime?
- Steve, Cirencester, UK
