Is this your bike? How we stopped three thieves and found a bicycle

We have a front row seat to a lot of goings-on on Dundas Street here at CBC London.

Right outside our windows is a metal fence which has been used by cyclists, including our staff, as a place to lock up bikes. The usual bike corral that takes up a car parking space on Dundas Street has been removed while workers construct Dundas Place.

Because of how the light hits our windows, a person standing on Dundas Street can't easily see into the CBC newsroom, but we can see out.It's not unusual for us to see someone eyeing up a bike.

It's also not unusual for us to get our bikes stolen former executive producer Bernard Graham had his bike stolen the first week we moved into the downtown location; current executive producer Amanda Margisonhad her back wheel stolen her first week on the job (perhaps there's a communityexecutive producer initiation we weren't told about).

Reporter Kate Dubinski and Afternoon Drivehost Chris Dela Torre chased away someone trying to take off the quick-release wheel of Dubinski's bike. (Dubinski has since replaced the quick-release with a bolt).

But even by our standards, last Friday was a big day for bike theft outside of CBC London.

First, someone tried to take the bell off Dubinski's bike. She banged on the window and he casually walked away.

A couple hours later, news editor Liny Lambrinksaw someone trying to cut through a bike lock. She banged on the window, and he ran away.

Then, as Dubinski was going home, she saw another man casually take out a grinder, put batteries in it, and start trying to cut through a lock. A few feet away, other characters were fiddling with another bike. Dubinski confronted the two men with the grinder, who said they'd forgotten their key. Doubtful, she asked them to go get the key, and they took off before cutting through the lock,as did the other men, leaving behind a bike.

It's that bike that we want to reunite with its owner. It's a grey CCM mountain bike from the 1990s. The serial number is intact, but it hasn't been reported stolen to police.

If you think the bike we found is yours, send us proof that its yours, and we'll return it to you.

And if you've had a bike stolen, let us know the address from which it was stolen, and the date. We'd love to plot it on a map to better understand where bike thefts happen in this city.

What police say

You should always report to police if your bike is stolen,even if you think it's unlikely you'll get it back, said London police Const. Sandasha Bough.

"If there's a suspect, we recommend calling headquarters. If there is no suspect, we do have an online reporting system," she said.

The make, model, colour of the bike help, but serial numbers are best, Bough said. If a bike is turned in, then police can return it to its owner, if it was reported stolen.

"It's always a good idea to report it. Even if you don't have the serial number. A stolen bike is stolen property. It doesn't matter the price value of that item, it's whether or not we're able to locate it. If we don't know about it, we can't track it. We have a crime analysis unit that looks at stats and patterns throughout the city, and if things don't get reported, we can't track it."

If you find a bike

If you find a bike, Bough says you should report it online, and someone from the McKenzie Auctions will come pick it up. If an owner isn't found, it will be auctioned off at the twice-annual police auction.

And if you are buying a second-hand bike, trust your gut, Bough says.

"If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is," she said.