Watch: Powder bombs explode as thieves try to steal bikes

A hilarious video posted online publicly shamed bike thieves across Europe in an experiment dubbed the European Bike Stealing Championships.

WeLoveCycling left unattended bikes on roads in Amsterdam, Rome and Prague to catch thieves and determine the capital of bike theft in Europe.

See also: Man films thief stealing from his car

Each bike was rigged with a powder bomb for "thief shaming" and a live band hid in the back of a nearby van to further shame the thief when the bomb exploded.

Amsterdam, Europe's cycling capital, was the first to see action when a man walked up to the bike and strolled off with it. Seconds later the powder bomb explodes and the band plays a loud tune prompting the thief to run from the scene.

See also: Thief in car steals pizza from man at bus stop

In Rome, a man sitting in a piazza next to one of the red bikes attempted to casually walk off with it before he was covered in the red powder in front of a square filled with people.

The bike in Prague, where a couple took a look at the bike but then walked away, was left propped up against a bin for three hours without being stolen. This may have been due to a police car arriving after it was placed in the square and remaining parked on the street.

Users took to YouTube to praise the video. One said: "This commentary is phenomenal! "

Another wrote: "This is hilarious. "

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