A man has been left feeling 'vulnerable' and 'heartbroken' after three road bikes worth a total of £20,000 were stolen from his workshop.
TPS Velo Services is a bicycle mechanics company in South Perrott formed in 2020 by Tom Pattinson-Smith who operates out of a workshop near his home.
He was horrified to discover one morning the workshop had been broken into and his own bike plus two other models he had been working on - all distinctive and expensive cycles - had been stolen.
Thieves appeared to have entered the premises by smashing a back window in the early hours.
The bikes are a Colnago V4RS, a Cervelo R5 and an Orbea M30i. Each bike has been customised.
Mr Pattinson-Smith said the theft has had a major impact on his business.
Mr Pattinson-Smith said: "They avoided the camera at the front and my alarm didn't go off. They smashed a panel off the back window.
"I feel very vulnerable at the moment, to be honest, and so does my family. When I realised I had left a few bikes at the workshop (following the theft) I had to ask someone to come with me to get them.
"This has had a massive impact on my business, it is obviously very hard. It is the first time this has happened to me."
He added: "Cycling is my passion. I haven't been able to go out and cycling is my therapy. It is heart-wrenching.
"They (the thieves) have no morals. They don't care about the knock-on effect it has on people's lives."
Mr Pattinson-Smith added: "They are very distinctive bikes. It is not like you can walk into a bike shop and find them. They have custom parts, and I would recognise them immediately.
"For some unknown reason, the alarm didn’t go off. All bikes were also locked.
"It’s going to take a lot for my business to bounce back. Now I’m buying more alarm systems.
"If you see these bikes please let the police know."
A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: "We received a report at 8.29am on Friday, January 12 of a burglary at a workshop in South Perrott near Beaminster.
"It was reported that three bikes were stolen as well as various bike helmets and glasses. It was further reported that damage had been caused to a window.
"Enquiries have been carried out into this incident, but no arrests have been made."
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