Thief took lollipop lady’s bike as she staffed crossing
ATHIEF stole a lollipop lady’s bike while she was busy helping children cross the road. Lysbeth Black was manning a crossing on Stockport Road in Marple on the afternoon of Tuesday,
October 29, when a man grabbed the bike and rode off on it while she was on the other side of the street. Students who witnessed the theft said the man ordered them to get out of the way as he made off with the silver aluminium-framed Marin Bolinas Ridge bicycle.
He was last seen on Stockport Road, near the junction with The Drive, heading in the direction of Stockport.
The community was so appalled by the theft that they have set up a fundraising page to buy Lysbeth a new bike.
A post on the page reads: “Yet another disgusting act. She is there to keep adults and children safe each day and is there rain, wind and snow. She may need this to get to work. Let’s get together as a close knit community and raise whatever we can.”
Lysbeth said: “I was standing on the other side of the road and the sun was in my eyes, so I didn’t see it happen. I love cycling, it’s my only form of transportation.
“[The fundraising page] is a lovely thing to do, it’s really sweet. I did tell them not to do it, but they said they want me to just accept it. It’s made me feel a lot better as I was really upset”.
It is not the first time Lysbeth’s bike has been taken. It was also stolen two years ago, but students from Marple Hall School recognised it and managed to recover it and get it back to her.
The theft has been reported to police.
The thief is described as being a ‘weird’ man who was wearing a blue hat.
The bike is an aluminium frame Marin Bolinas Ridge 2002 model, with commuter tyres. It has a 15-inch frame, grey rockshox forks and green superstar nano pedals.
Visit the fundraising page at www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/leetatton