If I catch someone nicking my bike....?

I guy I used to cycle with in Sheffield was riding home one night when two scroats tried to push him off the bike. Luckily he was a big lad and they failed, but he lost his rag big time, ragged it home, dumped his bike and grabbed a claw hammer and went looking for them! Luckily the two oiks, they were long gone by the time he made it back to the park.

As much as I can appreciate people wanting to defend their bikes, it is only a bike at the end of the day and not worth getting locked up for or stabbed. The law unfortunately in this country seems to do more for the criminal than the victim.

I've some experience with this. I'm a bar manager and I have to deal with a variety of situations, I've also been in the plod and had my bike nicked BITD. The way I see it, I've morals. I live my life by these morals and I expect others to behave responsibility around me. The older I get the less tolerant I am but that said, you see something that shouldn't be happening i.e wrong... Do something about it. A citizens arrest is exactly what it means. In essence I use this most weekends when someone doesn't know how to behave. I restrain them and let the boys in blue deal with em! Your property is generally (something not always the case in Retrobike circles) that can be replaced. Don't put yourself in danger! Personally I'd make it clear that it was very wrong to steal from me before handing them to the plod.