POLICE ARE appealing for information after a teenage boy was injured trying to prevent a motorcycle being stolen in Oldland Common.
The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday December 30 2007 - the boy's fifteenth birthday. He had been celebrating with friends on the Saturday night was in the lounge when his mother heard a noise outside and opened the front door.
The boy came out to see what was happening, and saw a young man pushing a motorcycle. He chased after the youth who dropped the motorbike and ran off.
The 15-year-old continued to chase the suspect youth, but was struck by a car which had been following slowly. The boy lost consciousness and was revived by paramedics. He was released from hospital after treatment for injuries including a gash to the shoulder but thankfully nothing serious.
The motorbike was found to have been stolen from garages behind Meadow Court Drive, Oldland Common. A second garage had been broken into but nothing had been stolen.
The bike thief was described as white, aged in his mid-teens, with brown or dark hair and wearing light-coloured track-suit type clothing.
The car involved, a red Vauxhall Carlton, had been stolen earlier the same night from nearby Brookfield Walk. It was found burnt out in Johnsons Lane, Bristol, at about 3.30am.
Police are appealing for information about the incident. They are keen to hear from anyone who can help them identify the suspect youth, or who noticed anything suspicious in the areas of Meadow Court Drive, Brookfield Walk or Johnsons Lane that night.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Staple Hill CID on 0845 456 7000. They can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Calls toCrimestoppers could lead to a reward.
DC Andy Smith said: "While we would never recommend that members of the public put themselves at risk intervening when they see something suspicious, I highly commend the actions of this public-spirited young man. He has prevented the theft of someone else's motorbike and been injured in the process."
