'To the scum who stole my son's new bike in Milton Keynes - this is the heartbreak you caused'

A furious mum has written an emotive message to thieves who stole her son’s brand new bike the day after he received it as a birthday present.

While bike theft is commonplace in Milton Keynes – so much so that police rarely have time to investigate cases – Hayley Canfield is hoping her story might force the crooks to show some compassion.

Her son Alfie was 12 on Monday. He was over the moon when his nana and grandad bought him a special present – a brand new bike he’d been coveting for months.

They wanted to reward their grandson for being a caring and helpful boy. In fact, Alfie is so caring that the Citizen wrote about him when he was just seven years old, when he helped the council by spending his spare time cleaning grime of city street signs.

The youngster was dubbed ‘King of Clean' and won praise from council leader Pete Marland, who visited him personally and gave him a thank you gift.

Yesterday (Tuesday) Alfie proudly set off on his new bike from his Crownhill home to cycle with friends to Westcroft. Once there, he carefully chained his bike to the rack outside B&M and locked it up, just as his grandparents had instructed.

Minutes later he returned to find the bike has gone. Someone had cut through the locks – among the best you can buy – with bolt cutters.

His friends’ older and less gleaming bikes were left untouched.

His mum has now drafted a message to the crooks. “To the scum who stole my son’s bike,” she said. “I am absolutely fuming. I have one very upset boy here. He is absolutely heartbroken.”

Hayley is appealing for local people to keep an eye out for the £285 Apollo Gradient bike. Or, perhaps the thieves could even show compassion and return it.

"It has been reported to the police but they can’t do anything. I have asked local companies round the area for CCTV,” she said.

Hundreds of bikes thefts reported every year in MK, making up at least one of 20 of all crimes.