A brazen thief has been caught on camera in broad daylight stealing a locked bike in the middle of Edinburgh.
Pictures show the youth, who is wearing a dark grey hoodie and light grey tracksuit bottoms, cutting through a bike lock with ‘serious clippers’ in the middle of St Andrew Square yesterday.
The snaps, taken on Friday afternoon at 2.30pm, were posted online by Edinburgh local Bruce Findlay who called the crook ‘totally brazen’.
The astonished Mr Findlay was sitting in his car when he saw the individual cutting the lock. He was able to catch the crime on camera and shout at the perpetrator before he sped away on the stolen bike.
“Wow, just saw this guy steal a bike in St Andrew square,” Mr Findlay tweeted.
“Young guy, just cycled off in a hurry. I was sitting in my car. 2.30pm”.
He added: “He used 'serious' clippers to cut through the security chain. Then jumped over fence and cycled off. Totally brazen.I just wish I could have seen his face clearly.”
He described the man as thin, white, clean-shaven appeared to be about 18 or19 years with an old dark grey hoodie and light grey track bottoms with dark trainers.
The thief made off on the bike from where it had been locked up, opposite the Dishoom restaurant in St Andrew Square.
Mr Findlay added in response to outraged comments on social media: "I shouted very loudly at him as I was taking the picture from my side window. It happened very quickly. He was super confident and obviously had done it before.
He continued: "It was a fab looking bike. The guy was acting suspiciously but I had no idea what he was up to. He was obviously carrying the cutters in his rucksack."
Edinburgh Live has contacted Police Scotland for comment.
