Reaching the dying hard after bike theft - chaplain

A hospital chaplain says he is struggling to get to the sick and dying quickly enough after his beloved motorbike was stolen.

David Southall, from Worcestershire, said there had already been one occasion he arrived in the moments after a patient took their last breath.

“On the bike I can be there 15 minutes quicker – even keeping to the speed limit – than the car because of the traffic issues,” he said.

His Honda Deauville was taken from his driveway overnight on Thursday and has since been found written off in a field near Ronkswood, Worcester.

'Time is of the essence'

“I felt sad because we’ve been on a lot of adventures together,” added Mr Southall, who is the chaplaincy team leader at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

He has been using his bike to get around the county to see patients who need him the most, clocking up 40,000 over the last 15 years in the role.

• Listen to Mr Southall telling his story to BBC Hereford and Worcester

“We get called out to hospitals in our trust – Worcester and Redditch and Kidderminster. They’re usually things where time is of the essence," he said.

“They’re people who are at the end of their lives and dying and want some support.”

The bike was found vandalised in a field near Ronkswood, Worcester

Recalling his discovery that the bike was missing, he said he done a “double take” and questioned whether he had parked it elsewhere.

“I was shocked because it should’ve been there and it wasn’t there,” he said.

He described it as a lovely bike and said it had more than 80,000 miles on the clock.

The theft happened in Staplow Road, Worcester.

West Mercia Police said it was investigating, and anyone with any information should call 101.