THIEVES took thousands of pounds worth of bikes after breaking into one of the oldest and best known cycle stores in the North.

The Caygill family have been left heartbroken and devastated after thieves smashed their way into their store on the Gallowfields Trading Estate in Richmond and left with a large number of bikes, worth thousands of pounds, including several electric bikes.

They’re now appealing to people to keep an eye out for the stolen bikes, and to contact the police.

Mandy Caygill said her father Arthur set up the store in 1983 and the family have built up the business. She added: "It has been absolutely devastating. We came straight down after the alarms went off on Thursday night after 10.30pm, so we discovered it just after it happened.

"It was horrific, the doors had been smashed down, they must have taken quite a while to get in, and they left behind a real mess.

"It has taken us a long time to clear up. They took a lot of bikes predominantly e bikes , full suspension Mountain bikes and hardtail mountain bikes. There was also one that was being repaired for a customer.

I think they probably knew what they were looking for. This has been so upsetting for us all, it’s the aftermath and not just the bikes that have been stolen but the damage they caused to the building and the mess we have had to clear up.

"We are up and running now and determined that this is not going to put us off, customers have been great, we have had so much support. We are asking people to keep their eyes peeled for anyone selling giant full suspension e-bikes such as giant trance x e+3 Pro 29er , Stance e+1 pro or giant reign 29er 2, amongst a mountain of other bikes."

Messages of support have poured in from customers, one said: "This is awful. Me and my partner were just up looking to buy new bikes a few weeks ago and were given some great advice from a lovely man who must have been Arthur. We will be returning to buy them once you have recovered from this terrible incident. I hope you find the culprits and retrieve some of your stock."

Another added: "Scum of the earth after all the hard work and dedication that you have put into this well respected business I hope they get caught."

North Yorkshire police are investigating and examining CCTV images.