A student paramedic whose bicycle was stolen from outside a hospital was presented with a new set of wheels thanks to Nottinghamshire Police.
Dan Roizer, 30, was shocked to discover his mountain bike had been swiped after working a 13-hour shift at King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Police carried out enquiries into the theft and officers from Nottinghamshire Police’s Ashfield Operation Reacher team also worked tirelessly to help secure a new bike for Dan with the support of Nix Cycles in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Dan, who lives in Sutton-in-Ashfield, said: “I couldn’t believe it had been stolen from a hospital. People are in hospital because they are ill or work there, and for someone to steal from either just shocked me.
“It was very inconvenient and potentially a major expense for me to replace. It felt gutting as I had just finished a long shift helping people.
“I was over the moon when a police officer got in touch with me to say they were going to find a replacement and I’m really grateful to Nottinghamshire Police and Nix Cycles.”
The force secured a temporary bike for Dan and worked with Nix Cycles to find him a permanent replacement. The team at Nix Cycles built Dan a brand new Mongoose mountain bike so he can get back in the saddle.
Following the theft of his bike, which was taken from outside the hospital on June 21, 2022, eagle-eyed officers went on to arrest and charge a suspect.
Ben Grundy, aged 37, of Percival Crescent, Sutton-in-Ashfield, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (29 June 2022) charged with theft. He was released on conditional bail and is next due to appear at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on 26 July.
The condition of his bail is he must not enter the grounds of King’s Mill Hospital unless it’s a pre-arranged appointment or medical emergency.
Sergeant James Brown, of the Ashfield Operation Reacher team, said: “When we heard what had happened we were delighted to help Dan get back on the road.
“It was also a great bit of teamwork to arrest and charge a suspect in connection with this theft.
“Our enquiries are still ongoing into the incident, so we’d ask anyone who witnessed what happened or has any information that could assist our investigation to please get in contact with the police on 101.”
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “I’d like to thank all the officers involved for helping Dan. This is a fantastic piece of community policing from officers who have gone above and beyond to secure a replacement and then a brand new bike for the victim.
“I am also delighted we have been able to swiftly charge a suspect with theft. I would like to reassure members of the public that we will take robust action against those who commit theft and cause misery for hard-working people like Dan.”
Rob Simcox, director of people at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Foundation Trust, said: “Cycling is a great way to boost people’s health and wellbeing and it’s essential that people – including our hardworking NHS colleagues – feel they can do that safely and in the knowledge that they will not be targeted.
“Our security team works closely with Nottinghamshire Police to ensure we proactively manage any security issues and incidents on site and we’re really grateful for the swift action that officers have taken following this incident. We’d urge anyone who has further information or witnesses suspicious activity on any of our sites to report it to the police.
“We do have secure cycle storage at King’s Mill Hospital for Sherwood Forest Hospitals’ colleagues and employees from partner organisations who are working on our site. Access can be requested via our security team. We are also currently reviewing the security of our cycle storage areas to see what potential improvements can be made.”
