Theft victim convinced '#IStoleYourDadsBike' posts are his stolen motorbike - but cops disagree

The victim of a motorbike theft who yelled ‘f***ing d***s’ at a gang as they took his wheels away says he’s convinced he’s found the thieves on social media.

Mark Powell had his Yamaha MT09 stolen on Chepstow Street in the city centre on Monday, February 20, while he was at work. In the days since, he claimed he’s been contacted by a motorcycle dealership which spotted apparent thieves posing with a motorbike on TikTok and Instagram.

The posts include hashtags like #IStoleYourDadsBike and #F***YouGMP, Mark said. However, GMP has told the MEN the posts are ‘linked to a separate crime’.

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“They have a TikTok accounts, these kids,” Mark explained. “They use #IStoleYourDadsBike and #F***YouGMP. They have Instagrams linked to the TikToks, too.

“Hunt's Motorcycles found them - the kids stole the same bike from them. They found them in minutes.”

However, GMP believe the posts relate to a different theft. A spokesperson for the force told the Evening News that there was no evidence to link Mark’s theft to the incident which cops believe thieves have bragged about.

It’s not stopped Mark from calling on police to take a tougher stance on the crime. He continued: “We do not live in a third world country. You cannot have people riding around the city centre threatening people with hammers.

“There has to be a point where the police can be allowed to pursue them and catch them and bring them to justice. What system do we work in, otherwise?”

A statement from the force said that enquiries are still ongoing to nab the thieves. It said: “We can confirm that we are still investigating an incident that happened on