Donald MacLeod: Only silence from police two weeks after family's bikes pinched

Hello, hello, hello? Two weeks after calling police after getting £3,500 worth of bikes pinched? Silence, nothing, not a sausage

POLICE Scotland, please take note.

Due to a rise in bike crime in the small Belgian town of Veurne – 75 reported thefts last year – police introduced a loan scheme for cyclists who fell victim to thieves.

A great idea, but Police Scotland will have to get the basics right before they could introduce such a scheme.

Two weeks ago the brakes were pulled on my family’s pedalling holiday in leafy Perthshire.

My wife’s electric mountain bike and my treasured road bike (estimated value for both £3,500) were stolen from outside our lodge in Dunkeld.

And since that rotten day, I haven’t heard a peep from Police Scotland, met or even talked with an investigating officer, let alone offered the use of two loaned bikes.

The only time I have actually spoken with anyone from Police Scotland about the theft was on the day I dialled 101 and reported them stolen.

Even then it was a civilian operator, not a cop, who answered the call.

Assuring me that, even though they were very busy at the moment, someone from their Pitlochry nick would be in touch – I’m still waiting.

I know they are severely under-resourced, under-staffed and under extreme pressure to deliver, that they feel their crime fighting efforts have been undermined by headline-grabbing claims of corruption at the top of the force.

But Perthshire, Big Tree Country, is not exactly big on crime.

Surely one of their PC Murdochs could have shown an interest, taken our details and reassured me and my family that they would do everything they could to catch the crooks and retrieve the stolen goods.

I know the theft of two bikes is hardly up there with The Great Train Robbery.

But if they can’t investigate the theft of £3,500 worth of bikes, then what type of crime does bother them?

Does stolen property have to be of a certain monetary value before it qualifies for police investigation?

Given that the force is so overstretched – 900 crimes a year currently go unpunished – how many more are not being investigated?

Can someone please give me a clue, because I would dearly like to know what the criteria is before I ever dial 101 again – I wouldn’t want to waste Police Scotland’s valuable time.

And finally, Police Scotland, if you aren’t going to look for our bikes, can you possibly lend us some of yours?