Do you recognise this man? Scrap man spotted stealing bikes in Horsley Hill, South Shields

A scrap man has been spotted loading people’s bikes into a red van in a South Shields neighbourhood, in which the owner later confirmed was stolen

At around lunch time on Wednesday, a neighbour spotted in the individual, using a red ford transit van, to load the bikes.

Suspicious, he contacted the homeowner as soon as he could, only to learn the bikes had been stolen.

The van has a registration of K008 LUY, and had faint text on the side of it saying “D. Armstrong ltd”.

Anyone who has any information should pass this onto Northumbria Police, who has been informed.