A retired paediatric nurse, whose motorbike was stolen and “burnt out” during a charity ride, has said the response from the biker community has been “like a big bear hug”. Mary Dean, 68, set off on June 10 from her home on the Lizard in Cornwall, travelling across mainland Britain to reach the Shetland Islands in Scotland in order to raise funds for Cornwall Air Ambulance and Lizard FC, her local football and social club.
In Shetland, Ms Dean, along with a friend, took part in the annual Simmer Dim Motorcycle Rally, where she won a prize for Female Longest Distance. Nine days later, on the return home to Cornwall, Ms Dean stopped off at a Premier Inn hotel in Washington, Newcastle, to rest for the night.
The following morning her Suzuki VS800 Intruder motorbike, as well as several items of sentimental value attached to the bike – including a four foot teddy bear of Tigger from Winnie The Pooh that Ms Dean had for over 20 years – were gone. She reported the incident to Northumbria Police and the bike was found the following day “burnt out” in Kestrel Close, Washington, close to the spot where it was taken from.
