Teen's heartache after moped is stolen and vandalised

Molly Peters, 17, was devastated after her Peugeot moped was stolen from outside her friend’s home in Summer Court, Highfield, Hemel Hempstead – despite having a security chain on it.

After discovering it had been taken the next morning (March 6), Molly called the police and put out an appeal on Facebook, which was rapidly shared more than 100 times across the social media site.

The photo and message spread like wildfire, and before she knew it, the St Albans college student received a message on the Sunday night.

Molly, who lives in Corner Hall, off Lawn Lane, said: “I got a message from this guy I’m friends with on Facebook and he said ‘I think your moped is parked outside my flat.’

“He lives in Leverstock Green so I went straight up there and it was my bike, but they had broken the wingmirrors off and damaged the seat.”

Relieved to have found her bike, Molly rode it home before her family helped her assess the damage.

She said: “I was just in the wrong time and wrong place when it was stolen, and we’ve worked out that it will cost about £200 to fix everything so I will have to start saving.

“It will take me a few months to pay for it so I will have to take the bus to college until then.”

The day after the theft, the keen footballer – who is a striker for Bedmond Ladies – had no other option but to catch the bus to a try-out match for the Watford FC’s Centre For Excellence.

The red and white bike was the teenager’s pride and joy, and the only form of transport she had to get to and from college, as well as work.

She said: “I want to thank everyone who shared the post about my moped.

“If it wasn’t for them, who knows where my bike would be now. And I want to thank the man who contacted me too.

“I want to spread the word that this is happening, and to warn other people to keep an eye out as I know so many of these type of bikes go missing.

“The police were brilliant too, they came round to take my statement and I’ve never been in trouble with the 
police or dealt with the police before so that was a new experience.”

If you know anything that could help the police investigation, call 101 quoting crime reference number D1/16/1710.

> UPDATE: A Go Fund Me page has now been set up by fellow biker Gareth Young, in a bid to help Molly pay for the repairs to her moped.

He said: “She seems like a nice young lady and I can relate to the bike situation, through personal experience, and it would have helped me out a lot if others had offered to help me get back on track.”

Visit the site and donate here.