Man arrested following electric bike knifepoint robbery in Swindon

At around 11pm last night, police received a report from a member of the public saying he had been the victim of a robbery and had his electric bike stolen.

Thanks to a tracker fitted on the bike, officers were able to locate the bike at a property in Newton Way in Penhill.

A man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of robbery, and the bike was returned to the victim.

The suspect remains in custody for questioning.

Local Policing Tasking Team Sgt Nathan Martin said: “This was excellent work by officers and I’m pleased that we were able to return the bike to the victim within hours of the robbery occurring.

“The incident is a reminder of the importance of taking security measures around your bike, such as using a tracker or getting your bike marked.

“The tracker in this case enabled officers to rapidly locate the bike and arrest the offender, while getting your bike security marked can act as an effective, visible deterrent to bike thieves when you have parked your bike somewhere.

“If thieves are caught with a registered bike, the owner can be traced and the thief will be arrested.

“Alternatively, you can register your frame number on a national bike registration database approved by Secured by Design – an official police security initiative.

“The frame number is usually found underneath the bike between the pedals or where the back wheel slots in.

“If your bike is ever stolen and recovered by the police, it can be traced back to you.”