Lady Who Spends Thousands Of Pounds Turning Bike Into Office Before A Thief Stole It

People online and in my local community have rallied round to try to find it since I put out an appeal. Neighbours asked if I was okay, telling me they loved to see me enjoy their bike lanes and see their city from my foreigner's perspective.

Still in shock as I was planning an ordinary afternoon out - bags packed, ready to roll - when I bounded downstairs and was hit by a jolt of disbelief.

Apparently the space where my cargo bike should have been was empty, and the double lock that had bolted it to my apartment wall was hacked.

My daughter darted between the other bikes, convinced someone must have moved it, but no, it was gone.

With cycling deeply embedded in daily life here in the Hague and across the Netherlands - part of the "Dutch DNA", as we say - I have no car, so used my bike for everything, from the school run to a shopping trip.

This was no ordinary bicycle. My colleague Kate Vandy and I retrofitted it to become a mobile broadcasting studio, which we named the Bike Bureau. I started "Dutch News from the Cycle Path", a reporting series born on the school run after my daughter asked me: "Why don't you just tell people the news now?"

The bike allowed me to reach breaking news scenes and broadcast live from anywhere, my daughter by my side, showing that working motherhood could be visible, joyful and real.

It opened doors to collaborations, awards and a community of people who saw themselves in our story.

I have zero expectation of getting the bike back, and searching for it has proven fruitless. I called the police immediately and they opened a case but closed it shortly afterwards because of a lack of evidence that would help find the thief.

Legendary BBC camerawoman Julie Ritson called my bike a blueprint for the future of journalism. Others said it was a relatable life-hack that showed how one person can manage motherhood and career, and inspired them to rethink what's possible with a cargo bike.

It was solar-powered, cutting the need for satellite trucks with heavy equipment and the pollution that mode of transport brings.

Research last year from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism shows audiences are not only interested in climate change news - they are particularly engaged by stories that highlight individuals taking empowering action in response to the crisis.

Some people have expressed surprise that "this kind of thing" would happen in the Netherlands. What they may not realise is that bike theft is endemic here.