A motorbike belonging to a ­charity rider was stolen from outside his St Ives home in the early hours of last Thursday.

The Hunts Post: Mr Simms' Kawasaki ZRR1400.Mr Simms' Kawasaki ZRR1400. (Image: Archant)

Nick Simms, of Derwent Close, a Royal British Legion Riders Branch member, woke up to find his Kawasaki ZRR1400 had gone.

Police were called at 5.37am and registered the registration number with automatic ­recognition systems but it has so far not been traced.

The powerful bike, which is a distinctive green colour, was mainly used by Mr Simms to raise money for the Royal British Legion Riders Branch, as well as commuting to work in Cambridge.

Mr Simms said: “I use it to get to work in the morning and I had got all my bike gear on.

“It wasn’t out the front and I thought I might have left it in the car park which is unusual for me.

“What gave it away was they broke my neighbour’s fence to get it and disconnected their security light.

“It’s insured so that’s not a problem. The problem is I won’t be able to raise money for the British Legion at the moment.”

Mr Simms, chief engineer at Swiss Laundry, uses his spare time to raise money for the ­charity after his time as a serviceman with the Royal Anglian Regiment in the 1980s.

The organisation hosts many fundraising events, including bike rides, campaigning and parading and has raised more than £700,000 since its creation 10 years ago.

A Mercedes van was also stolen from Bedford Crescent, in St Ives, the night before, although it has not been confirmed if the two incidents were linked.

Mr Simms said he thought it was unlikely his bike was stolen for joy riding and believed it may have been planned.

“It’s a big bike and weighs at least 260 kilograms. It would have probably taken four or five people to get it in the back of a van.”

INFORMATION: Anyone with information should contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.