Hackney birdsong? Stolen Lime bikes the new sound of summer in the city

Lime bikes have become ubiquitous in London and other cities and cost 27p a minute – if you pay. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Was that exhausting to read? Well, imagine if that noise was the soundtrack to your summer.

To the ire of many city dwellers this year, it is. The piercing and persistent sound, something akin to a half-bothered fire alarm you accidentally set off, has been everywhere. Its origin? Lime e-bikes, specifically the stolen variety.