Stolen wheels go full circle back to school

Constable Christopher Pemberton was pleased to hand back stolen bikes to Glenbrae School students Beatrice Sua (left), 5, and Tumanako Rakai, 5. Photo / Jason Oxenham

A gift of five bikes has been made to an Auckland school for a second time - after the donated wheels were stolen during the summer holidays.

Counties Manukau police constables Chris Pemberton and Ross Knowles this week visited Glenbrae School in Glen Innes to return the bikes that had been donated to teach students how to ride.

Mr Pemberton said the bikes were found by chance when he apprehended a man in a car acting suspiciously in Mangere in early January.

"Speaking to the driver revealed some things we wanted to speak to him about. That led us to a large trailer stolen ... earlier in the year, and on that trailer was a bunch of property and in that property was a bunch of bikes belonging to the school."

The bikes had the school's name engraved on them, making the return easy. "It was quite delightful giving the bikes back to the kids. Some of the kids had first learned to ride on them so they were pretty eager to get back on to them."