CYCLIST Justin Clarke is appealing for information after his £2,000 bike was taken from outside a town centre gym on Monday evening.

Justin, 32, of Hanbury Road, is asking people to come forward who might know the whereabouts of his khaki brown Mondraker mountain bike, which had its lock broken and was then taken from Kiss Gyms in Princes Way.

The bike was taken some time between 6.45pm and 8.30pm on Monday night while Justin made use of the facilities at the gym after a day at work.

“I was at work all day on Monday and I must’ve gone to the gym about 6.45pm,” said Justin, an agency warehouse operator. “I locked it up as usual in the designated bike area.

“I came out again at 8.30pm, possibly 8.45pm, when I saw it was gone. I was absolutely gutted.”

Wiltshire Police are investigating the matter and Justin has said the whole incident was captured on the gym’s CCTV.

The bike was bought three years ago in Spain, during a seven-year spell Justin had in the country with his family, when he worked as a labourer.

At the time the bike cost Justin just over £2,000. It is a manufacturer growing in popularity in the area, he said.

“I went straight to the police station within 20 minutes of it being stolen and told them everything. I said I had pictures and receipts if they needed them. The bike’s a Mondraker. I bought it in Spain, but it’s becoming a lot more popular over here now.”

In describing the bike, Justin said the Mondraker name was embossed rather than stuck onto the main frame, lizard skin tape on the frame beneath the chain and scratches all over.

There are also chunks missing from the rider’s seat as a result of Justin’s dog chewing through it.

There are two stickers on the main frame of the bicycle, which links the handlebars to the seat. One of the stickers is possibly a skull and cross bones, according to Justin, whereas the other is a gothic fairy in a sitting position.

Anyone with information can call police on 101.