AN ADVER paperboy has been left distraught after his new mountain bike was stolen while he shopped with his mum at a supermarket.

Kris Beasley, 14, of Greenmeadow, chained his Barracuda Radon bicycle to his mum Trudy’s bike outside Morrisons, in Haydon Wick, at around 6pm on Tuesday night.

But when they returned just 10 minutes later the chain had been cut and the £160 bike was gone – but the thieves had left Trudy’s pink ladies bike.

Police are now appealing for information and Trudy thinks two youths hanging around the bicycle rack when they parked up may be connected with the theft.

The 40-year-old said: “It was only two weeks old and he had saved up all his money to get it, so he is heartbroken.

“We only parked them up for 10 minutes and when we came out of the shop it was gone. There were two youngsters hanging about nearby and they were gone too.

“They must have cut through the chain – they didn’t take my pink bike though.

“He’s a paperboy too so he needs his bike. He’s never missed a round though, even though he’s had to get up earlier to walk it before school.

“The bike is black and blue and pretty distinctive because it has white mud guards. He ordered it off the internet because his old one was worn out.

“He just wants to get it back because he worked so hard to get it in the first place.”

Nova Hreod pupil Kris, whose two brothers Peter and John are also paperboys, said he is very upset by the incident.

He said: “It took a lot of hard work and then for it just to be gone is upsetting.

“They think they can just take things that don’t belong to them and not them themselves.”

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: “Enquiries are continuing to identify the persons responsible and officers are currently in the process of seizing CCTV footage for the area.”

Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.