An 'exhausted' Scots physiotherapist treating Covid-19 patients has been left devastated after the bike she relies on to get to work was stolen.
Lauren O'Hara had finished a long shift at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital at 5pm on Tuesday to find her bike had been nicked from outside the entrance.
The 23-year-old, from Hyndland in Glasgow, works in the hospital's intensive care unit and uses her bike to travel back and forth.
Lauren told the Record: "When I realised my bike was gone I just felt really hurt.
"To think people could be so mean as to do this, far less during a pandemic, is awful."
Lauren's Nature Pro bike was secured in the bike rack used by staff near the main entrance to the hospital.
Security guards scoured CCTV, but the area was hidden by scaffolding.
Police are now probing the callous theft.
Lauren has worked at the hospital's ICU unit since March and has been a part of the Queen Elizabeth physio team since graduating two years ago.
And Lauren revealed that cycling to and from work has been helping her to clear her head recently, after 'exhausting' shifts treating Covid-19 patients.
She said: "Work is physically and mentally exhausting just now.
"Everyone beig treated in ICU at the moment has tested positive for coronavirus.
"I'd usually be doing rehab but people are too sick for that.
"Right now we're helping the amazing nurses with the proning and turning of patients and whatever else they may need.
"So cycling helps me decompress and clear my head after treating people."
Lauren also said her bike was a gift fro her dad for getting her job at the QUEH which makes her feel 'even worse'.
Lauren's bike is a 2016 grey and black cube Nature Pro with a distinctive red bell and pannier rack.
Inspector Scott Simpson, told the Record: "We can confirm that officers have received a report of a bicycle being stolen from outside Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
"The theft is believed to have taken place between 8.45am and 5.15pm on Tuesday, April 14.
"Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Police on 101, quoting incident 2968 of April 15."
