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Don’t think I’ll be staying there anymore which is a shame as I’ve enjoyed it in the past.
I stay there regularly. I have done for 15 years or so. My bike goes in the pod with me. Zero issues
Bloody hell.... I have wondered what would've happened if I'd seen them when I got it the van. Would their default be leg it or confrontation!? I might have asked them to "f*ck off" but beyond that I'm not interested in getting into anything physical!
Don’t think I’ll be staying there anymore which is a shame as I’ve enjoyed it in the past.
I stay there regularly. I have done for 15 years or so. My bike goes in the pod with me. Zero issues
which is all fine until this lot turn up and find there’s no easy targets what do they do then, sounds like they’re not afraid of a confrontation so them just packing up and heading home seems unlikely.
also sounds like this is a relatively new level of thefts and targeting above snd beyond the usual.
Which campsite/pods was the attack at?
My understanding is it's here: https://www.glentressforestlodges.co.uk/
We stayed in a pod a couple of years ago. Nice enough. Our bikes were inside the back of our van. Latest bit of violence is worrying: I'd hand my bike over without question if threatened, but wouldn't risk exposing my kids to that sort of stuff.
Found a bit more information about recent incidents. It seems the gang were armed with machetes and attacked a lad who disturbed them, slashing him several times. Police and ambulance involved.
There's also been several other incidents of awnings being slashed and cars being broken into.
Admittedly I'm finding this stuff out by finding Facebook threads through google searches rather than any news reports, but it's enough to make me think twice about going back there for a while.
I started out thinking it doesn't put me off, that it's likely an isolated incident, but I couldn't justify taking my 10yr old back there until I hear something else has been put in place to help deter the scrotes from showing up in the first place.
what a scary situation. I guess the silver lining is with them using weapons it escalates it from theft to something more serious.
Which in turn may mean the police double their efforts.
but ultimately... what a society we live in. awful.
"something else has been put in place to help deter the scrotes from showing up in the first place."
Please don't take this as a personal criticism but there is something in place- a secure lock up. Campers have been warned by staff recently about the thefts and to take extra precautions, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears given that its still happening to relatively insecure bikes.
I have no association with the campsite, but a friend stayed there recently and was clearly told about the issues by staff. It would be a great shame for the business to be damaged by an issue they are actively trying to fix- CCTV and a secure lock up as well as the warnings.
Oh well, hopefully you can make an insurance claim.Better not tell them it was unlocked mind.
Or at least post it on the internet if you're considering a contesting the non-payout from the insurance company 😉
Top tip, if you can do it on your insurance.
My bikes are listed as mountain bike, mountain bike, mountain bike, road bike, gravel bike. Could save a while load of 'which bike was it?' agro if I ever need to claim
Please don't take this as a personal criticism but there is something in place- a secure lock up.
Not taking your comment the wrong way, but here's my thought process..... I'm glad they're informing people now of what's been happening, but I wasn't told beforehand that bikes had been stolen a couple of nights before I was there. I would've been more careful had I known that.
The lock up has always been there, the reason I didn't use it was the manager wasn't on site at the moment I needed to get in it so I didn't know the code, and having stayed at that site many times before I naively made the choice that it'd be ok, that it's a safe place, no-one would be so brazen..... Naive like I say.
What I meant by "something in place before I go back refers to even if our bikes are secured in the lock up, that doesn't change the fact that machete welding scrotes are still wandering around the campsite looking for things to nick.
What if me or my daughter get up for a p1ss at 4 in the morning and wander past a group of lads trying to break into a pod or something. It's not ideal is it? I obviously wouldn't send her across the campsite alone at that time, but it should, in theory, be safe enough for me to do. And if I got attacked (or anyone else whilst we're staying there,) it would be traumatising for her.
I fully get you Richard, you had crap luck for sure. Not sure I'm so keen if its just a code entry myself!
The whole valley is a target, it just seems that this year its the campsite, because the scrotes have spotted that it was common practice for bikes to be locked outside. If that precedent wasn't already set they would likely not be there in the first place.
It used to be that gangs would come when events are on, and look for bikes on roofracks around the town. I had a bike nicked from a locked and alarmed garage the weekend of an event and the police reckoned I was chosen because they hadnt found an easier target on a roof rack.
It's not ideal is it? I obviously wouldn't send her across the campsite alone at that time, but it should, in theory, be safe enough for me to do. And if I got attacked (or anyone else whilst we're staying there,) it would be traumatising for her.
If this isn’t sorted by the authorities, it won’t be long before mtbers start avoiding the place which will impact the local traders.
I've been riding in Finale Ligure and Molini a few times now, without a hint of this sort of malice. It’s only a bit more faff, money and time to get Italy for me and the weather .. ..
I've been riding in Finale Ligure and Molini a few times now, without a hint of this sort of malice
First time we went to Finale.
Stayed in an air BnB in the old town. 10 of us turn up with bikes, the place we're staying has a huge, new, modern underground garage so we all put our bikes in there.
Later on the first night one of the boys had to do something on his bike so he heads off to the garage and discovers someone has put super glue in the garage door lock. He cannot get the key in. There were loads of garages in the place and we checked them all and not one had the same thing done.
We called the air BnB owner who was brilliant. He came down and was as perplexed as us, and very embarrassed. He called a locksmith, we got the bikes out and he let us keep them in the accommodation, which was luckily very big.
Clearly the garage had been targeted by someone that saw our bikes going in. It was the week of the EWS there so definitely ripe pickings for thieves.
To be fair- this is the first time its involved violence. The police are stretched thin as it is, but I bet this will elevate the response significantly. I'm not sure where the rumours of machetes came from either, the initial reports didnt mention any weapons being used.
There's loads of stories of bikes being taken by force in urban areas, this one sticks out because its very much out of the norm. The Tweed Valley is generally safe, and if everyone makes it hard to nick biles, hopefully these guys will bugger off somewhere elase.
