Cameron Antal

If they then still think of such offences as unimportant, then they are a foolish, callous person.

Cameron and his late father, Chris, built two machines together. For Cameron they represented a strong physical connection with Chris, who died aged just 28 after suffering throat cancer.

Only days after the seventh anniversary of Chris’s passing, his son discovered that the bikes had been taken from the family’s York Road garage.

Not every case involves a story so tragic, of course, but a stolen bike might be a lifeline for its owner, perhaps their only means of getting to work or performing vital errands for a loved one.

In addition, every bike theft is a violation of a victim’s personal space, property and sense of wellbeing.

As such, no bike theft should be dismissed as insignificant. Quite apart from being insulting to victims, such an attitude leads thieves to regard the offence as a low-risk passport to easy money. This in turn leads to further thefts and swollen insurance premiums.

The last local bike theft figures we saw were shocking — but not as shocking as the tiny number of bicycles returned to their owners.

It is gratifying to know that the police are investigating the theft of Cameron’s bikes,which are collectively worth £2,000.

We look forward to updates about the progress of the investigation.

We also suggest that other owners of precious objects learn from this sad story and find new ways of protecting their property.

If a closed garage is not a safe storage location for a precious item, people should perhaps consider bringing those items indoors