A man who carried out a string of motorbike thefts before taunting police with a “catch me if you can” message has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Mark Fay was convicted on Tuesday after carrying out the thefts in Greater Manchester and surrounding areas.

Greater Manchester Police said the 29-year-old was caught in September this year after a “lengthy investigation” where he contacted officers and told them to “catch me if you can”.

The taunting words were mirrored in the captions of videos he posted on social media, which were found by officers from GMP’s Central Neighbourhood Crime Team and District Tasking Team.

Fay, from Longsight, was charged with eight counts of theft of motor vehicle offences and three counts of handling stolen goods.

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He was remanded into custody after his conviction and will now remain there as he serves his jail sentence.

PC Davies from GMP’s Central Divisional Tasking Team said: “Fay had a clear set-up, he planned the offences carefully. It was a lengthy investigation by the team into a clearly organised spate of thefts.

“This showcases the lengths we take in our investigations – no matter how organised or sophisticated the group or individual may be, we will thoroughly investigate and put offenders away in jail.”

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