Updated: Tue Jul. 22 2008 15:07:47

ctvbc.ca

Police have apologized to a Vancouver man just days after seizing his $2,000 bike in the mistaken belief that it had been stolen.

Victor Lansdown had actually purchased the bike at a police auction in May.

But when he was stopped for not wearing a helmet on July 13, a Vancouver police officer ran a serial number check, which indicated that it had been stolen.

The following day, Lansdowne took his receipt to the Vancouver Police Department to show them how much he had paid $2,000 for the bike.

Dissatisfied with the response from the police - who didn't tell him where the bike was or if he would get it back - he phoned CTV.

When a CTV reporter contacted the VPD, a police officer admitted that a clerical error had been made.

The bike came into the VPD as a found-seized bike two years ago. Before the bike was put up for auction, the original owner had gone to the RCMP and reported it stolen 

That information was recorded on a database. But police did not re-check the status of the bike before it was put up for auction on May. It was actually stolen in Whistler.

The bike is still at the VPD impound room at 312 Main street. That's because the original owner wants her bicycle back. So police will refund the money that Lansdown invested in the bike.

"Not only will I get the money I paid at the auction, but also improvements I did to bike. The city will write me a cheque for that too,'' he said.

VPD Const. Jana McGuinness said police regret any inconvenience that this has caused.

"We will review our practises and make sure it doesn't happen again,'' McGuinness said. 

Lansdown says a problem that could have gone on for months is now expected to be resolved this week.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington.

Please Add Comments(2)

CK1
Hard to believe this is a top story.

Double JJ, Vancouver
wow, thats pretty cool. 2 years after a bike was stolen, it gets returned. How long did the police have it though?