Perth Voice Interactive

THIEVES have nicked a mobility-impaired man’s electric bike, robbing him of his primary means of getting around.

East Perth man Ves Gorecki’s right leg was injured last year, leaving him unable to drive or walk more than short distances.

“I cannot drive a car, my leg is not functioning,” he says. “I cannot [drive] because my foot is numb, and I cannot feel the pedal. I am a dangerous driver if I do this.”

The bike was a Christmas present to himself: his insurance expired two weeks before the theft.

He’s now struggling to get around on an old pushbike, but when cramps hit he’s immobilised: “I am like without leg,” says the Polish immigrant.

“They dropped the bicycle into a flashy Holden, an expensive one, and ran away.”

The bike was stolen outside Inglewood’s Bunnings on April 3. There was nothing to lock the bike to, so he’d chained the wheel and risked a quick trip inside, hoping its 28kg and immobile wheels would make it too hard to nick.

“When I left [the shop] my bicycle wasn’t there,” he sighs.

Another patron said he’d seen a man pick up the bike and run off with it.

“They dropped the bicycle into a flashy Holden, an expensive one, and ran away.”

There’s only a couple of these kinds of bikes in WA, and the thief will likely be looking for a charger since “after some 45km it will be useless,” Mr Gorecki says.

He’s called local e-bike shops and the distributer in Melbourne, warning them to be on the lookout for someone picking up that rare model.

The bike is a white Aseako Alto, and Mr Gorecki is offering a $250 reward for information leading to its recovery in good condition. Call him on 0457 566 785 if you’ve seen anything.

by DAVID BELL