A YOUNG couple from Oxford was left heartbroken after a ‘heartless’ thief took off with their brand new bike.

Resident Anna Doyle, 28, had just treated her partner of two years Cheng Wei Yong, 32, with a £350 bicycle for his birthday when it got stolen outside of the Westgate Centre.

The pair had ridden from their home in Cowley to meet some friends in the city centre.

They locked their two bikes to a rack behind the shopping mall but when they returned Mr Wei Yong's bike was gone.

The couple instantly reported the theft, which happened on August 9, and contacted the security at the Westgate Centre to check the CCTV camera positioned right next to the rack.

However, only a few days later Thames Valley Police told Ms Doyle and Mr Wei Yong that 'none of the security cameras cover any of the bike racks'.

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The force said that 'the report has been filed pending further evidence coming to light'.

Speaking about how the police dealt with their report Ms Doyle said: "I do not understand why they did not check the CCTV – they would have seen somebody walking off with the bike.

"They just washed their hands."

In a post on Facebook Ms Doyle expressed her frustration about the incident.

She wrote: "My bike was stolen in direct view of a CCTV camera on a Westgate building. 

"It was D-locked to a rack and had two cable locks, both of which were cut through by professional thieves.

"According to Westgate, none of their cameras are facing any bike racks.

"Literally nobody cares about bike theft here."

However, Thames Valley Police commented it takes bike thefts 'seriously' and that officers will investigate when such reports are made.

A spokesperson added: "Local officers also conduct bike marking events for the public, details of which can be found on our social media channels before they take place. 

"More recently, the police and crime commissioner successfully bid for funding from the Safer Streets Fund, of which some of this money will be dedicated to installing better street lighting, CCTV and dedicated cycle storage areas."

Speaking to the Oxford Mail the 28-year-old woman also added that she was 'absolutely gobsmacked' when she discovered that her gift was stolen.

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She said: "I bought it for my partner's birthday only six weeks ago.

"This was his first bike in his adult life and that day was only the second time he had ridden it.

"He had really enjoyed it and, as I am an active cyclist, it was an activity we would have done together."

Ms Doyle also pointed out that the thief must have arrived at the rack with some professional equipment as they managed to cut through so many of the locks. 

The couple, however, are just some of the hundreds of victims who have criticised the 'epidemic' of bike thefts in the city.

Currently Oxford has some of the highest proportion of bike thefts in Britain ranking fourth out of 104 postcodes.

An online petition was also opened to signatures on Oxford City Council's website last month and there are calls for the council to do more to help people protect their locked bikes in the city.

Further tips and information on how to keep bikes safe can be found on TVP's website .thamesvalley.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/theft-of-a-bicycle/how-safe-is-your-bike