Bike thief torches vintage 1951 motorcycle after demanding Instagram ransom from owner

A vintage motorcycle worth thousands of pounds has purportedly been burned after bike thieves in Bristol issued a ransom to its owner that was not met.

Thieves are believed to have stolen a 1951 Triumph Thunderbird from a garage in the Clifton area of the city.

The British motorbike was made between 1949 to 1966 and featured in the Marlon Brando film 'The Wild One' in 1953. It was estimated to be worth between £7,000 and £10,000.

The bike was allegedly stolen at some point from an address in Clifton overnight between Wednesday (7 February) and Thursday (8 February)

A video and ransom were posted by the thieves on an Instagram account called 'biketakerrr' that has been linked to a notorious bike gang, based in the north of the city.

The thief is seen bragging about being in possession of the bike on the social media platform before demanding that the owner pay them £1,000 for the return of the bike.

After a day passed without the gang being paid, the bike was filmed being set on fire with a youth in a tracksuit and motorcycle helmet watching while lifting up his arms in a celebratory manner.

The Bristol Post has seen the footage posted on the private account that was brought to their attention by concerned members of the motorcycling community.

The gang said after torching the bike "he didn't listen" to their threats adding "Told u [sic] give me a grand but you didn't listen rude boy."

In another comment the gang say: "Uno [sic] the drill, don't pay gets burnt. He had the chance getting it back he never took it so unlucky."

The Instagram biography on the account goads police by saying "no face no case" and "f*** ASP" – the acronym for Avon and Somerset Police .

Detective Inspector Mike Ray, of Avon and Somerset Police, said to the Post: "We are aware of the situation and are investigating all lines of enquiry."