"Any STW fuzz willing to defend him?"
I'm not fuz and in fact play for the opposition but what exactly is your point here? Two days after his bike is taken he sees someone on the bike and gets it back. On what planet does the idea that some one is ridding a bike 2 days after the theft prove that he is the theif. If this copper nicked the lad he would be spending hours of tax payers money on an obvious hiding to nothing. As it is he got his bike back and the lad no doubt got a "warning".
You do really need to learn a little about the real world before you try Trolling for coppers.

the youth with the bike denies he stole it and says he bought it in good faith not knowing it was stolen. no case…..its crap but thats the most likely outcome of an arrest. the officer will know this and couldn't be bothered, he's happy to get the bike back.

the youth with the bike denies he stole it and says he bought it in good faith not knowing it was stolen.

Assuming this to be correct, is it OK to take the bike from the youth?

I'm not fuzz and in fact play for the opposition

So you're a criminal then??

if the bike was reported as stolen and it is that bike then the youth has no claim to it. he loses the bike and it is up to him to try and recover his money if he wants too.

I'm not fuz and in fact play for the opposition

I think chaps who 'play for the opposition' are allowed to join these days, equality laws and all that 😉

So you're a criminal then?

I thought the same thing, unless he is a lawyer, but surely no lawyer would make an ambiguous statement like that..

He's a solicitor.

its one thing wasting time when in work & a totally different thing wasting your own time, he obviously knows there is no point!