A community interest group is counting the cost after bikes worth £30,000 were stolen from their base in Wishaw.
Socialtrack staff were gutted when they discovered around 30 bikes were taken from their warehouse at around 10.30pm on Tuesday night.
The social enterprise encourages people to cycle, scoot, and skateboard and have been carrying out great work with teenagers and young people at the Wishawhill Wood Pump Track in Craigneuk.
Dan Scott, from Socialtrack, said: “We really need people to put thier ears to the ground and step up by contacting the police.
“We know people know where these bikes are and we’ve been hearing rumours all day that they are being sold for small sums of money all over Wishaw.
“But we need people to contact police when they hear about this.
“CCTV caught the individuals stealing from the workshop. But this isn’t enough.
“For any real chance of getting these bikes back we need people in the community to look after the community and get these bikes back into the hands of the community.
“As it is there’s a few young men who are looking at arrest in the next few days but by that time the BMX bikes used by the young people in Wishaw at the Wishawhill Wood Pumptrack and Overton Skatepark will be gone and that will be the end of any activity for quite some time.
“Insurance won’t cover the price of these bikes as in amongst the bikes stole was bikes in for repair so they will eat the lionshare of the insurance.
“At the moment the loss of the bikes means we can’t run any of our social outreach programmes.
“So cheers to whoever stole our stuff, you’ve left kids without hope.”
Motherwell South East and Ravenscraig councillor Agnes Magowan was left shocked at the bike thefts and appealed for their return.
She said: “Socialtrack offers opportunities to children across North Lanarkshire to improve their health and wellbeing.
“I am horrified that anyone would ruin this by stealing bikes from this excellent organisation.
“I would hope this will be addressed by the police and the bikes will be returned.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report of the theft of a number of bikes from a property in Bell Street, Wishaw, on the morning of Thursday, November 4.
“The bikes are believed to have been taken sometime between Tuesday (2 November) and Thursday.
“Enquiries are ongoing.
“Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting reference 0880 of 4 November.”
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