Merseyside Police recovered two stolen motorcycles and returned them to two tourists who were visiting Liverpool from Germany on their way to TT.

The bikes were recovered as part of ‘Operation Needle’ earlier this week, and were safely returned to their owners after they had travelled to the Isle of Man without them.

A spokesperson from Merseyside Police said: ‘The operation to get the motorcycles over to the Isle of Man was only possible through joint working with the City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, the Roads Policing Unit, Force Contact Centre and the DVLA Liaison Manager, who arranged for the motorcycles to be transported over.’

The motorcycles were stolen from Queen’s Drive in Walton, with Merseyside Police stating they were able to recover the bikes due to a call reporting suspicious activity in the area.

Sergeant Craig Winstanley, of Operation Needle, said: ‘It is great to be able to reunite two victims of crime with their beloved motorcycles over on the Isle of Man so that they can enjoy the rest the TT Festival.

‘This was only possible thanks to great partnerships we have here in Liverpool between Merseyside Police and the business community.

‘I personally want to thank the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for accommodating the two motorcycles on a later ferry, and their assistance with reuniting the motorcycles with their owners in the Isle of Man once the ferry had docked.’

In a post on Facebook, Merseyside Police issued a reminder to bike owners about what they could do to keep their bikes safe.

This included using a good quality lock, parking in a well-lit area, varying your parking locations and looking out for other bikes and bikers.