A Baldock man has been forced to put his house on the market after a series of attacks on his property.

Niall McParland, who works as a police inspector for the Metropolitan Police in London, was the victim of a burglary this month when bikes worth more than £30,000 were stolen from his two-storey workshop in Royston Road.

And after several attempts by gangs to break into or vandalise his home over the past three years, the latest attempt has proven to be the last straw.

The 39-year-old said: “My family are going to have to move because we can’t stay here.

“This latest crime was a planned attack on my home workshop.

“I have parked cars in front of the doors as extra security and to get into the workshop they’ve smashed the window of my Vauxhall Corsa and carried it over a concrete bollard – so there must have been a few of them to lift it.

“The bikes are pro circuit, so not the sort of things you nip down to the shop on for groceries.

“I had a similar incident three years ago in which bikes were stolen, when the police managed to catch the man who had taken two of the frames.

“I’ve also caught people trying to break into the property before, and managed to get their number plate before they sped off.

“It was the number plate linked to a gang in Letchworth who were known to the police.

“We’ve also had graffiti on the walls and bricks thrown through the window.”

Mr McParland is offering a reward of £3,000 for anyone who can assist in the recovery of the stolen bikes, which were of huge sentimental value.

He added: “I’ve been all over Europe with the bikes, and as far as Australia, as well as competing in events such as the triathlons.

“Not all the bikes are mine which makes it even worse, because I help some friends out by doing some servicing to their equipment.”

The burglary, which took place between 1pm on March 31 and 8pm on April 1, was reported in the Comet last week following a police appeal.

The haul included a Canondale CP CAAD, a Pinarello Dogma, a Giant TCR, a Pinarello Quattro and a Whyte 809.

Anyone with information about the latest crime is asked to call Det Con Steve Cook on non-emergency number 101 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.