Garda’s collection of lost and found items goes online

Gardaí have posted an online collection of photographs of lost and found items currently in their possession, looking for owners to reclaim the missing objects.

Not surprisingly there are a large number of bicycles, ranging from children’s bikes to a number of high quality Giant and Carrera racers.

Since the introduction of the Bike to Work scheme and the sudden influx of expensive bikes on Irish roads, the number of stolen bikes has soared. According to the Central Statistics Office, in 2011 there were 5,176 recorded cases of bike theft, with only 10 per cent of these being solved. This number reflects a 54.5 per cent increase from 2007, when only 3,351 bikes were stolen.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 4

Lost Carrera racing bike. Photograph: An Garda Síochána

Dublin Cycling and Dublin City Council have put together a video advising cyclists on how to prevent their bikes ending up in this collection of photographs.

It’s not just bikes that thieves are interested in. The items on display include a saxophone and a guitar. No doubt there’s a heartbroken musician walking around somewhere, hoping to find some warm-hearted Samaritan ready to return their musical pride and joy.

Picture frames also seem to be rather sought after on the black market, with a small collection of engagement frames discovered by gardaí. These are accompanied by jewellery, a slow cooker, DIY tools and, most importantly, a set of heart-shaped napkin rings.