An attempted burglary at a motorcycle sales and service shop was described by the business’s owner as an “attack on youth development”.

Paul DeCouto believed the would-be thieves planned to target minibikes recently brought to the island as part of a programme for juniors to create a pathway to professional racing.

The owner of Cycle Care said he was alerted to police presence at the shop on Serpentine Road in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Mr DeCouto explained: “When I got there, I saw the window smashed, then came inside and reviewed the video footage.

“I saw three — it looks like kids — and the video footage is right at 3.52am.

“That’s one way to get woken up.”

He said the recording showed people wearing helmets walking towards the shop.

In the footage, one individual can be seen hitting a window with a rod or pole before kicking at it, while another two stand on the sidewalk.

Mr DeCouto added: “Luckily, it’s tempered glass so it has plastic in the middle of it, so they hit but they couldn’t get through … then they run away.”

He said: “The crazy part about it is that it was originally reported as a firearms incident, because someone walking by saw the kids doing that and just the noise, what it sounded like was gunshots.

“When I arrived, all I saw was police vehicles all over the place.”

Mr DeCouto added: “We’re doing a youth development programme for kids at the racetrack, so we bought in these Ohvale minibikes to work with the Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Association.

“These bikes are very expensive, landed.

“We’re of the opinion that we were targeted because the kids wanted to come and steal the bikes.”

Mr DeCouto said the race season starts next month, when it is expected that the bikes will be sold to “get kids on the track”.

He added: “The plan is to have a pathway for the youth to be able to be professional motorcycle racers.

“That’s what’s disappointing – at least they didn’t get the bikes, they couldn’t get in.”

Mr DeCouto said: “We feel like this is an attack on youth development.”

The shop owner told The Royal Gazette that the window, which will need to be replaced, cost almost $2,000 to install.

Billy Dunn, the BMRA youth development co-ordinator, said later the minibikes were the same type as others used internationally in a FIM MiniGP world series feeder programme.

He believed those responsible for the attempted burglary hoped to steal the vehicles to “ride around town”.

Mr Dunn said: “We want to reach out to them and say ‘come down the track, we want you to do it properly and legally’.

“They’re not street bikes, they’re pure race bikes and you have to be a member of the club in order to purchase one.”

A Bermuda Police Service spokesman confirmed this morning that detectives were carrying out inquiries into the attempted burglary at Cycle Care.

He said: “It appears that around 3.50am, Thursday, April 20, 2023 three unknown men approached the premises, with one of the men using a blunt object to strike a store window several times, damaging it.

“Despite the damage caused to the store window, no entry was gained, nothing was stolen and the three suspects fled the area.

“The noise of the Cycle Care store window being struck was initially described as gunshots by the caller that made the report.

“However, on police arrival a few minutes later, an examination of the scene confirmed that there was no evidence to substantiate the use of a firearm in this incident.”

The spokesman added that the suspects were said to be “three men wearing dark-coloured helmets with visors and dark-coloured clothing”.

He said: “Detectives have already received some relevant information and will review any available CCTV footage, but are still interested in speaking with anyone that may have seen men on motorcycles in the area of Canal Road, just before or after 3.50am Thursday.”

The BPS spokesman said anyone with information — “no matter how insignificant it may seem” – was asked to call the Criminal Investigation Department on 247-1744 as soon as possible.

He added: “Alternatively, members of the public can share any information they may have with a police officer they know, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers by calling their confidential hotline 800-8477, or visiting www.crimestoppers.bm.”

• UPDATE: This article has been updated with a comment from the Bermuda Police Service