Thieves have targeted a quirky Tour de France celebration in a Huddersfield park.
The Friends of Beaumont Park have sprayed old bicycles yellow and left them tied to posts to mark the countdown to the Grand Depart.
The project, called Park Your Bike, saw the voluntary group receive 14 old cycles from a charity and paint them the colour of the Tour de France leader’s jersey.
Volunteers then fastened the bikes to posts around the park as a talking point for visitors.
The bikes were put in place on Sunday but within 24 hours two of the bikes had been stolen and another moved and dumped.
The bikes also have clues for a Tour de France quiz, with question sheets available from the park’s visitor centre.
Project organiser Mrs Anne Mallinson said she couldn’t believe why anyone would want to spoil the fun.
“The bikes are wrecks, the brakes don’t work and they are certainly not roadworthy,” she said.
“They aren’t worth anything. It’s sheer bloody-mindedness.”
The bikes are tied up with garden wire in places where people would park their bikes.
The cycles were donated by Huddersfield-based Streetbikes, which takes in and refurbishes old bikes and gives them to needy families.
Mrs Mallinson, events co-ordinator for the Friends of Beaumont Park, said the bikes will stay until after the Tour weekend of July 5 and 6.
There will be an On Yer Bike workshop event at the park on Sunday, June 1 (1pm-4.30pm) including a performance at the bandstand by the Uppermill Band.
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