FOUR men with theft after a spate of mountain bike thefts in Cumbria last year.

Shaun Whitehead, aged 34, Andrew Whitehead, age 41, Tony Jones aged 26 and Wayne Brookes,28, all from Liverpool were charged with stealing eight mountain bikes valued at £15,000.

The machines were stolen from Keswick, Grizedale, Grasmere and Ambleside in November and December last year. The four will appear at South Lakeland Magistrates Court on Wednesday, March 20.

The men were arrested on the December 1 last year following a police operation into a short series of high value mountain bike thefts.

DC Duncan Helmn from Kendal CID said: "South Cumbria is a very popular location for mountain bikers and that crimes of this type are very rare. However, bike owners should take every precaution to secure their bikes and not leave them unattended if at all possible".