POLICE are appealing for information after mountain bikes worth about £20,000 were stolen from homes in Darlington.

The high-specification bikes were stolen during three burglaries across the town over the last few days.

Two men’s bikes worth £4,400 in total were taken from a shed in the garden of a house in Orchard Road, Darlington, between midnight on Friday, August 31 and 7.30am the following day. A padlock and hasp on the shed door had been forced to gain entry.

The bikes are an Orange 5 Pro men’s bike with a 20ins frame, which is black cherry in colour, and a white and lime green Cube mountain bike with a 15ins frame.

Overnight on Sunday, September 2, two bikes worth £7,000 in total, as well as bike parts and a Makita hammer drill, worth a further £1,700, were stolen from a garage at a house in Brinkburn Avenue.

Police believe the bikes, which were anchored to the garage floor and secured with a motorcycle chain, were taken between 8pm on Sunday and 6.30pm on Monday.

The bikes are a glow in the dark, fluorescent green, Commencal Supreme, and a Lapierre Zesty 314 machine, with a silver and black frame.

On Tuesday night, three mountain bikes worth £8,400 in total, were stolen from a garage in Elmfield Road, Hurworth - one is a Cannondale and two bear the Scott brand.

Detective Constable Nev Price, of Darlington CID, said most of the bikes taken are high-specification machines modified to suit the requirements of their owners and would stand out against other more basic models.

Anyone with information on these burglaries, or who knows where the bikes are, is asked to contact Darlington police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.