Stolen & Found: riders looking out for each other

Every day, the same posts appear in riders' Facebook groups. "Stolen last night, make it too hot to handle." "Found this dumped in a lay-by, is it yours?" Riders share them, comment and look out for them, and then they scroll away and are lost.

Stolen & Found brings all of that into Byker, so the whole community can look out for a stolen bike, tell its owner where it is, and help found bikes get home. It's free for every rider.

When your bike is stolen

Report the theft to the police first: call 101, or 999 if it's happening now.

Then tap + and Report a bike, or open the bike in your garage and tap Report this bike stolen. If it's in your garage, its make, model, colour and photos fill in by themselves. Add the registration, when and where it was taken, any distinguishing marks (stickers, damage, aftermarket parts), up to 6 photos, and your crime reference if you have one.

As soon as you report it, Byker tells:

• riders within 25 miles of where it was taken
• your friends
• the members of your clubs

That's dozens or hundreds of riders who know the roads, the car parks and the lock-ups near you, all looking for your bike within minutes.

Your home stays private. Byker never shows the place you chose, only an area of about 1 km with the postcode district, such as "Taken in Leeds LS6". The circle isn't even centred on the spot.

Spread the word everywhere

Every report gets its own link and a STOLEN poster with the bike's photo, registration, make, model, colour, and the area and date. Share it to Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere riders will see it. Anyone can open the link, with or without the app, and any rider can share your report with Share to help.

The page never shows the crime reference, the frame number or who you are.

"I've seen it"

Spotted a bike from a report? Tap I've seen it, say where and when, and add a photo if you safely can. Your sighting goes only to the owner, never to anyone else, and they can message you in Byker chat.

Never approach anyone or try to take a bike back yourself. If it's happening now, call 999. Otherwise call 101.

Found a bike?

Bikes turn up dumped in hedges, car parks and lay-bys every week. Report a found bike with a photo and where it is, and Byker checks it against open stolen reports: by registration, privately by frame number, and by make, model and colour nearby. When there's a match, the owner is told straight away, and you can talk through Byker chat without sharing your phone number or address.

A found bike nobody has claimed gets its own FOUND: is this yours? poster to share. Tell the police on 101 too.

Buying a used bike? Check the registration

Anyone can check a registration against open Byker reports, signed in or not: in the app under Stolen & Found → Check a plate, or on the website at byker.net/stolen.

Important: a registration check searches the Byker community only. It looks at stolen bikes that riders have reported on Byker. It doesn't search the police, the DVLA, insurers or any other agency's records, and it isn't a vehicle history check. If there's no match, Byker says No Byker reports. That doesn't mean the bike isn't stolen: not every theft is reported on Byker. When you're buying, always check the V5C, make sure the frame number on the bike matches it, and consider a full vehicle history check.

Prevention beats recovery

Stolen & Found helps you stay ahead too:

• Record the details now. Add your bike's registration and frame number in your garage under Private details. Only you see them, and if the worst happens, your report fills in from them in one tap.
• The security checklist. Every bike in your garage has one: a tracker, a disc lock, a chain and ground anchor, an alarm, a data tag or forensic marking, and photos of identifying marks.
• See where thefts happen. On the Map tab, choose Alerts and the Stolen & Found chip to see where bikes are reported stolen most.

Safe and fair

Moderators check every new report, and false reports are a reason to suspend an account. Reports describe bikes, never people: reports that name or accuse anyone are taken down.

There are no rewards on Byker. Offers of money are exactly what recovery scams feed on. Never pay anyone to return a bike, or anyone calling as "the police" or "a recovery company". The police never ask for money.

Back with their owners

When your bike comes home, open your report and tap It's back: mark it recovered. Everyone who sent a sighting or shared it hears the good news, and if you'd like, your story joins Back with their owners in Stolen & Found, to show riders that looking out for each other works.

Make it too hot to handle

The more riders on Byker, the more eyes on every stolen bike. If your mates aren't on Byker yet, now's a good time to tell them: it's free, and one day it might be their bike we're all looking for.

Find Stolen & Found in the app on the Community tab, or at byker.net/stolen.

Miles better together.