The stock of bicycles found in the home of a man arrested in Oxford.
Oxford police have arrested a man suspected of stealing more than 500 bicycles. The bicycle shed was found in his building last week after a police raid. The 54-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of dealing with stolen goods and possession of criminal goods. Police are in the process of identifying ownership of the bicycles found on the man’s property. Thames Valley Police told the BBC that an arrest warrant has been issued against the man on the basis of the investigation.
“A 54-year-old man from Oxford has been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and possession of criminal property following the execution of a warrant in Littlemore,” the Thames Valley Police said in a statement.
The daily email reported that the “mountain of 500 bicycles” in the backyard of the man-made property was visible from a Google Earth satellite.
The publication spoke to locals in the area, who said the whole area has been infested with rats because of the catch. The angry neighbors claimed that the stock had grown by the week.
A number of complaints were filed against the man, who was later released under investigation.
“It’s been going on for about five years,” Colleen Butler, who has lived in the area for 32 years, told The Daily Mail. She added that the man arrested for theft had moved there ten years ago.
After the incident was reported and the police released the photos of the bikes, social media users scoffed at the situation.
“What did he do with all those bikes?” said one user on Twitter. “I’m surprised no one has seen it before,” added another.
Google services like Maps have previously been used by people for a variety of purposes, finding photos not normally visible to the naked eye.
