How social media found a London musician's stolen bike within hours

A musician from Essex County has a new appreciation for the power of social media after she used it to track down her stolen bike in the matter of hours.

Allison Brown now lives in London. She woke Tuesday morning to find her beloved bicycle gone.

It was the first bike she had ever owned, a green and yellow Pearl with chrome fenders.

"I was just devastated. I was kind of a mess because I'm really attached to my bike," she said.

After "freaking out," over the theft, Brown took to Facebook and Twitter.

Brown has 665 followers on Twitter and more than 3,000 friends of Facebook.

Her Facebook post was shared more than 300 times.

"Within the first couple of hours of my posting it, I bet you it reached 500 people."

She said strangers she spoke with in the neighbourhood had seen pictures of her bike online. 

Const. Ken Steeves, who speaks for the London Police Service, said bike thefts are a big problem in the city.

Last year, police learned how easy it is to get away with stealing a bike when they video taped a thief in broad daylight on a busy London street.

"There were several people walking around, and we didn't receive one call to 911 or even to our general information," he said.

In Allison Brown's case, it appears social media, not a police investigation, solved the crime.

Her bike was returned by Tuesday night. A man said he saw it for sale at a thrift shop.

She's not sure she believes the story, but she's relieved her beloved bike is back where it belongs.