Prolific bike thief 'on the run'

Westrop stole up to two bikes a day, police said

An arrest warrant has been issued for a prolific bicycle thief, who stole as many as two a day.

Police said Daniel Westrop, from Bromley, south-east London, failed to attend his sentencing hearing at Woking Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Westrop, 27, has pleaded guilty to nine counts of bicycle theft and had 93 similar offences taken into account.

The labourer was arrested in April after a long-running probe into cycle thefts at stations in the South-East.

He stole mostly mountain bikes from cycle racks used by commuters, police said.

British Transport Police (BTP) said Westrop scoured the railway network for bikes which he sold on the black market.

"Westrop had been stealing bicycles for the last three years from various railway stations between Fleet and London Waterloo," said Det Con Sarah White.

"On occasions he would steal two bicycles from the same station in one day."

She said he mainly targeted West Byfleet, Walton-on-Thames, Brookwood and Surbiton stations.