Langsett Cycles ram-raided and thousands of pounds worth of mountain bikes and the charity box stolen

The thieves drove a silver Ford Focus into the shop at around 4am on Sunday morning, tearing the shutters from the shop front and smashing the glass door out of its frame to gain entry to the building on Infirmary Road.

Although unable to completely assess the full extent of damage at the moment, owner Andrew Elston has said that two top-of-the-range mountain bikes were taken during the burglary.

The thieves even then went back into the building for the shop’s Breast Cancer Now charity collection box.

“Apparently they took three attempts to smash through the door completely, and the car actually ended up inside the shop,” Mr Elston said.

“The police were in attendance very quickly and told us it is a stolen car that they know has been involved in a number of crimes.

“We know so far that the thieves stole two top-end mountain bikes, both worth thousands.

“And just to show how low some people are they even came back in to the shop and stole our cancer charity box.

“They did a lot of damage. We had a big wide glass door that is completely destroyed, and a lot of stock is damaged.

“It is just so disappointing. It is no secret that retail is having a tough time at the moment and this feels like a hammer blow.

“We have survived two world wars and the Super Tram being put right outside our shop, but things are as difficult now as ever.

“The shop is 130 years old in 2020. We were planning on celebrating with lots of special events. Having a sale of damaged stock in January was not in those plans.”

In spite of the big blow to his business, Mr Elston and his wife Judith, who co-runs Langsett cycles, have found comfort in the way the community has rallied around them in this difficult time.

“We are trying to look for the positives,” Mr Elston said. “People live above the shop and they all jumped out of bed when they heard the crash at 4am and some of them have been helping us since.

“One neighbour even threw pots and pans out of their window at the thieves when they saw them! People have been coming round and asking us how we are.

“And we have to give a massive thanks to Paul at PB Doors in Rotherham who made our shop safe and secure at such short notice. All the big companies recommended by insurance companies didn’t want to know.

“What has happened is obviously upsetting but the response from local people has been uplifting. We feel lucky to live around people who are helping us. At least nobody was hurt.”

A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Police said: ““Officers were called at 4:14am on Sunday 22 December to reports of a ram raid at Langsett Cycles on Infirmary Road, Sheffield.“It is reported offenders used a car to gain access to the building. A number of bicycles have been reported stolen.“Officers are asking anyone with information that can help with their enquiries to call 101 quoting incident number 176 of 22 December 2019.”

Langsett Cycles is one of the oldest bike specialists in the country, having been founded in 1890.

It first opened on Langsett Road and moved to its current premises in 1930.