About 2 years after the kicking I describe earlier in the thread, I was walking home from a DP and saw a Police car up the road from my house.
Next to the Police car was my (lovely) motorcycle, lying on its side about 250 metres from where I'd left it outside my house.
D-Lock through front wheel, but 2 lads had put the front wheel on a skateboard (pure genius on reflection) and were dragging it to somewhere quiet where they could get the lock off.
I approached the policemen and explained it was my motorsickle. They asked if the lads had my permission to take it.
They told me they were taking them in but they wouldn't get more than slapped wrists. They also advised me not to approach the Police car as the lads might clock me and they were known in the neighbourhood (East London) as quite handy.
So the lads got carted away and no action was taken. My 'bike was fine but slightly biffed and scratched where the lads dropped it when the Panda drew up.
Had the police not driven by, I would have lost the 'bike. In the event the coppers were excellent, but their hands were tied.
I probably behaved disgracefully when I laid into the bicycle thief a couple of years earlier (see earlier post), but it dealt with the situation and gave the miscreant pause for thought.
When I beat the bicycle thief, all my (old east End) neighbours who knew approved and supported the response.
