Where's that Dublin bike?

Someone has stolen a bike in Dublin. Normally, this would not be news, but the stolen bike was not just any old bicycle. It was a Dublin bike, one of 450 that are part of the city's new rent-a-bike scheme to get people cycling around the city.

"The person who had rented the bike had it locked to a lamp post when it was stolen," a Dublin City Council spokesman told the Irish Times. Two other bicycles hired on a 72-hour ticket were not returned in time, the spokesman said, adding, "These are the first serious incidents that have happened since the launch of the bike scheme [on 13 September]."

City councillor Andrew Montague, who proposed the rent-a-bike system five years ago, said: "I'm very disappointed a bike has been stolen from the scheme. It's a shame."

Under the scheme, all users must give a €150 guarantee, which is taken by the city if the bicycle is not returned. The Dublin bike scheme has already had "around 10,000" users, of which more than 7,000 registered online for long-term rentals. Dublin City Council now has 450 bicycles available for rent from 40 bike stations between the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal.