A local councillor for South Camberwell has warned on Twitter of a bicycle thief, generating a huge response from the online community.

Labour councillor Sarah King discovered a bicycle rack with parts missing and covered in gaffer tape to give the illusion that they are in one piece, leaving thieves easy access to the bikes.

Ms King, 49, posted several photographs of the February 25 incident on her Twitter account, generating nearly 6,000 ‘re-tweets’.

The tweet read, “Cyclists please watch out for gaffer tape on bike racks covering up that they’re cut straight through.”

Local residents were shocked to learn of the attacks, with one London local, Alex White, expressing his surprise.

“Wow, thanks for the warning. That must have taken some serious work to cut through.”

An avid cyclist herself, Ms King has expressed her dismay, confirming to one Twitter user that the incident had indeed happened in Camberwell.

The bicycle rack was stationed at the junction of Camberwell Church Street and Vicarage Grove, however Ms King alerted users that fellow Labour councillor, Mark Williams, was having the rack removed via Southwark Council.

As had undoubtedly others before her, Ms King did not immediately think her bicycle had been stolen. Rather, she thought she had forgotten where she had left it, before checking the rack more closely.