Nurse’s message to thief who stole her bike: “I may be looking after your relative”

A nurse in Bath who discovered on Christmas Eve that her bike had been stolen from outside the hospital where she had been working a night shift has told the thief who took it, “I may be looking after your relative in hospital for all I know.”

Catherine Harding, who works at St Martin’s Hospital in Odd Down, clocked off from an 11-hour shift at 7.30am on Christmas Eve, reports Somerset Live.

The 56-year-old had left her Carrera Crossfire bike locked up in the hospital’s bike hub – but when she went to get it, all she found was her broken lock.

She said: "I started work at 8.30pm on December 23 and left bleary-eyed on Christmas Eve.

"The night before I had put my bike in the bike hub as usual and locked it as I normally do.

"When I came outside the lock had been smashed and broken.

"I have had the bike for two years. I just had a service done on it which cost £60.

"It is frustrating when you spend quite a bit of money and now I don't have a bike."

The hospital where Ms Harding works lies at the top of a hill and it used to take her 15 minutes to ride to work and 5 minutes to return home, but the journey by foot takes her almost 45 minutes each way.

"It put a downer on Christmas,” she continued. “I was working over Christmas but this topped it off.

"To the person who did this, I may be looking after your relative in hospital for all I know. I hope the police can find the person responsible," she added.