Police donate unclaimed bikes to charity

Unclaimed bicycles due to be sold at auction are instead being gifted to charity under a trial scheme being undertaken by Police Scotland Edinburgh Division.

Bicycles and bike parts, which would otherwise have been sold at police auction, are being donated to Edinburgh-based charity the Bike Station.

The charity, which aims to promote cycling to everyone, offers cheap second-hand bikes for sale, and carries out cycle repairs at a reduced rate, using second-hand parts.

Sergeant James Sinclair, from Police Scotland, said: -“We decided that instead of selling on unclaimed bicycles at police auction, we would donate the recovered bikes and bike parts to the Bike Station.

“The charity provides a valuable service to the community, repairing bicycles and selling them on at an affordable rate, thereby encouraging people who may not have been able to afford a bike into cycling.

“At present this is a trial scheme that will run for a period of three months, and if successful we hope that the arrangement can be made permanent and if possible, rolled out to other areas.”

Rodney Service, Warehouse Manager at the Bike Station, said: “I would just like to say thank you to Police Scotland for donating the bikes, they will be a great benefit to the local community.”

These bicycles are not stolen property, but found bicycles which have not been claimed by their owners.