Martin Chappell with a mini motorbike similar to the 17 stolen (30547)RARE imported motorbikes worth nearly £7,000 were stolen at the weekend. Thieves took 17 motorbikes from a unit at the Dunkirk Business Park, Southwick.

16 are the only imports in the country of children's scrambling bikes made by Chinese firm Chang Ming.

Detective Constable Lee Armit, of Trowbridge police, said: "This would appear to have been a pre-planned burglary.

"We believe at least two adults could have been needed to lift and move the motorcycles into a large vehicle, and there is a distinct possibility that members of the public may well have seen activity in the vicinity of the attacked premises over the weekend.

"I think they will be quite hard to get rid of because they are so distinctive and rare in this country."

The burglars forced open a fire door at the unit between 9.30am on Saturday and 8.30am on Monday, reversed a large vehicle down to the door and loaded up the motorbikes.

The bikes had not yet been assembled and were still in the metal crates they were delivered in. Owner Martin Chappell believes the culprits knew what they were looking for.

He said: "They left really obvious stuff like bikes parked right by the door that they could have just wheeled out and stole lots of crates of bikes still not put together."

Mr Chappell, 38, who runs design company MCDA Design in Melksham, only started up his motorcycle business at the end of last year and the loss of the bikes is a huge blow.

"It is incredibly annoying. I suspect I won't see them again but if just one turns up we should be able to trace the rest."

He said the bikes taken were suitable for children from five years old and, as they are not suitable for taking on the road they do not have to be registered.

He imported only 20 of this make of bike and the four he sold before the burglary went abroad, so any coming up for sale in this country are likely to be stolen goods.

The bikes are all red in colour, with white three-spoked alloy wheels, a balloon design on the petrol tank and 50PY embossed on the side panel. The frame numbers all start with LRYTCKL7, followed by a 26-digit number. The engine numbers are eight digits long and all begin with either C, DC or 050.

The 17th bike is a red monkey bike with coloured alloy wheels and a yellow, black and orange wavy design on the petrol tank.

Anyone with information on the theft should contact Trowbridge police.