Police alert after thieves use angle grinder to steal e-bike at beach

The theft of a chained e-bike at a busy Newcastle beach using an angle grinder has led police to issue a warning about opportunistic crime.

Waratah West resident Brad Fuller and his family were returning to their car parked near the Newcastle Baths on Saturday about 11.30am when they spotted two men aged between 30 and 50 gather around an e-bike that was chained to a wooden fence about 5 metres away.

One of the men had a prosthetic leg, and the other had a fishing rod and a bicycle.

"I heard the unmistakable sound of an angle grinder," Mr Fuller said.

"When I turned around, I personally witnessed the man carrying the fishing rod, using an angle grinder to cut through the lock securing the e-bike.

"The noise was significant, and you could actually smell the residue from the grinding.

"Once the bike was freed, the man with the fishing rod jumped onto his own bicycle, while the second man, who had a lower-limb amputation, got onto the stolen e-bike."

Mr Fuller said the whole incident happened in a matter of seconds.

"What struck me most was the sheer brazenness of it all," he said.

"This happened in broad daylight, on a busy Saturday morning, with families, swimmers, surfers and members of the public everywhere.

"Several people noticed what was happening, but understandably nobody confronted the men. After all, there's a pretty significant risk involved in confronting someone who's holding an angle grinder."

After speaking to several bystanders, Mr Fuller and his family waited 30 minutes until the owner of the e-bike, a teenage boy, returned from the surf.

They helped the boy contact his parents, as his mobile phone had been stolen as well.

E-bikes are valued between $1100 and $5500.

A spokesperson for Newcastle police said they were investigating several thefts involving both e-bikes and bicycles across Newcastle this year.

"E-bike and bicycle owners can reduce their risk by using high-quality locks, securing both the frame and wheels to a fixed object, parking in well-lit and busy locations, and avoiding leaving bicycles unattended for extended periods," the spokesperson said.

"Police also recommend recording the bike's serial number, make and model, taking photographs, and marking the frame with a unique identifier to assist with identification and recovery if it is stolen.

"At home, bicycles should be stored inside a locked residence or a secured shed wherever possible."

If a crime is under way, the public should contact police via triple zero (000) immediately.