Community response ‘like a bear hug’ after retired nurse’s motorbike stolen

A retired paediatric nurse, whose motorbike was stolen and “burnt out” during a charity ride, has said the response from the biker community has been “like a big bear hug”.

Mary Dean, 68, set off on June 10 from her home in Lizard, Cornwall, travelling across mainland Britain to reach the Shetland Islands in Scotland in order to fundraise for Cornwall Air Ambulance and Lizard FC, her local football and social club.

In Shetland, Ms Dean, along with a friend, took part in the annual Simmer Dim Motorcycle Rally, where she won a prize for Female Longest Distance.

Nine days later on the return home to Cornwall, Ms Dean stopped off at a Premier Inn hotel in Washington, Newcastle, to rest for the night.

The following morning, her Suzuki VS800 Intruder motorbike, as well as several items of sentimental value attached to the bike – including a four foot teddy bear of Tigger from Winnie The Pooh that Ms Dean had for over 20 years – were gone.

She reported the incident to Northumbria Police, and the bike was found the following day “burnt out” in Kestrel Close, Washington, close to the spot where it was taken from.

“I’m devastated, I’ve had that bike since 2011, I’ve been everywhere on it,” Ms Dean told the PA news agency.

“And Tigger has been with me, I mean, he even had his own little passport that I made up and everybody loves him, so I’m devastated.”

Ms Dean, who had to complete the rest of her journey home via train, added: “But I’m feeling loved.

“The biking community has closed around me, and everybody put the word out, and it’s just sad that it was found burnt out because they were all trying to find it.

“And, I mean all over the country, Newcastle people, bikers, have been fantastic.

“And the village, I can’t walk round this village without someone saying they’re sorry or coming and hugging me.”

Ms Dean said news of her missing motorbike “went viral” on social media throughout the biker community and the wider community in Newcastle and Lizard.

“It’s been shared time and time again on different pages.

“And you read the Facebook things and people are saying, ‘I’m so sorry’, and ‘we’ll look for it’, and ‘don’t worry we’ll find it’, everyone just wanted to help.

“It’s been like a big blanket, a big bear hug from the community.”

On June 21, the day after it was reported missing, Paul Hartley, a workshop supervisor at Sunderland City Council and fellow biker, was tasked with removing a burnt out motorbike that had been dumped in the Washington area.

After seeing the bike, 43-year-old Mr Hartley recognised it as Ms Dean’s from the images that were being circulated online.

While waiting for a forklift to arrive to remove the vehicle, Mr Hartley recalled: “I just had a quick look on my phone, I’m on a [Facebook] group called North East Bikers, and as I opened the phone, there was the picture of the bike.

“It came to my surprise, and disappointment as well for the owner.

“As soon as I (had) seen it, I knew it was the bike I had just been reading about.”

As a fellow biker himself, and knowing “how much this bike must’ve meant”, Mr Hartley said he “personally went out to the site where the bike was found to try and retrieve anything that had been left behind”.

After managing to rescue some of Ms Dean’s items that had survived, Mr Hartley got in touch with Ms Dean, and he has sent them back to her Cornwall.

Ms Dean said she has now received a tax disc holder with a picture of Tigger, as well as one or two burnt pin badges that were attached to the bear.

Mr Hartley said: “I’m a biker myself, and have been for many years, it’s so sad.

“So I thought I want to try and do as much as I can to get anything back, what I can, any mementos or anything from our biking rallies.”

Ms Dean added: “I’m pleased because the badge with the year bars under it is from Sundowners, which doesn’t exist anymore.”

The community in Ms Dean’s village wanted to create a fundraiser for her in order for her to purchase a new bike, but Ms Dean said: “I keep telling them, no.

“It’s my wish that anyone who wanted to donate, to donate to the club.”

A JustGiving page has been created to “continue her mission” to raise funds for The Lizard Football and Social Club, with a target of £2,000.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson told PA: “Officers received a report that sometime between 1am and 7am on Tuesday, a motorbike and several other items had been stolen from outside a hotel on Emerson Road, Washington.

“The motorbike was later found burnt out in nearby Kestrel Close.

“Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information regarding the theft should use the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or call 101, quoting 078493G/23.”

To visit the fundraiser for the Lizard Football and Social Club, visit their JustGiving page here.