Cycle of crime: David Cameron's bike is stolen ... again

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated:


It was the Commons showdown of the year.

But David Cameron nearly didn't make it to Prime Minister's Questions yesterday after his bike was stolen - for the second time in a year.

He had chained the £250 mountain bike to railings outside his West London home, but thieves still made off with it.

Undeterred: David Cameron (left), whose bicycle was stolen outside his home, borrows an aide's bike while riding to the Commons today with George Osborne

Undeterred: David Cameron (left), whose bicycle was stolen outside his home, borrows an aide's bike while riding to the Commons today with George Osborne

The Tory leader usually cycles to the Commons on Wednesdays with his Parliamentary aide Des Swayne.

After hearing of his boss's predicament, Mr Swayne - a Territorial Army officer - nobly donated his old boneshaker and instead ran to Westminster.

He said: 'His need was greater; the party would have expected nothing less. My only fear was that I had lent him a death trap and I might be held responsible for the by-election.' 

Tory leader David Cameron on his 'priceless' Scott commuter bike in 2005

Happy times: The Tory leader on his 'priceless' Scott commuter bike in 2005

His sacrifice meant Mr Cameron arrived in time to ride into Parliament Square with George Osborne.

Mr Cameron's bike was pinched from outside a Tesco last year but was later found in a side street - minus the brakes.

Local community elder Ernest Theophile, 60, managed to track the bike down after speaking with youths in the area.

On being reunited with his bicycle after the last theft, Mr Cameron said: ‘It’s priceless to me. 

Cameron

Upset: David Cameron calls for help after his bike first went missing last July

'I’ve done over a thousand miles on it and three sponsored bike rides of 250 miles each so it’s like an old friend.’

Later, after being pictured in newspapers wandering around scratching his head at the loss, he joked that he was considering introducing sharia law for bike thieves.

‘I will consult the Mayor of London,’ he said referring to Boris Johnson who advocated the use of sharia law after having his own bicycle stolen from racks outside London’s Euston station.

Around 110,000 bikes are reported stolen in England and Wales every year, but the real figure for cycle thefts is believed to be three times higher.

Mr Cameron’s cycling habits have caused him embarrassment in the past.

Last year he was criticised by road safety charities and forced into an apology after being photographed riding the wrong way down one-way street, going the wrong way around a keep left bollard and riding across a toucan crossing for cyclists and pedestrians while the signal was red.

Previously it was revealed that he was followed on his ‘green-friendly’ ride to work by a chauffeur-driven car carrying his briefcase, documents and shoes - a practice he has now stopped.

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