WITH the summer holidays ahead of him youngster Ryan Holmes is today stuck at home after heartless thieves stole the bike he has spent months saving for.

Lizzie Parry

WITH the summer holidays ahead of him youngster Ryan Holmes is today stuck at home after heartless thieves stole the bike he has spent months saving for.

The 13-year-old, of Redwald Road, Rendlesham, started saving in April after spotting the silver and grey Barracuda Hacker bike on the internet.

The Farlingaye High School student managed to get the �152 he needed to buy the bike by doing odd-jobs for his grandparents, cleaning cars, cutting hedges, cleaning his great grandma's disability scooter and general gardening.

After three weeks of waiting Ryan finally took delivery of his “pride and joy” last Monday - only for it to be stolen four days later after he cycled 18 miles into Ipswich.

The hard working youngster and his two friends rode from Rendlesham to see his nana and granddad who live in Nansen Road.

From there they stopped off at the BMX bike park in Gainsborough to do a few jumps before heading to his friend's nana's house on Dereham Avenue around 4.50pm.

But within minutes of leaving their bikes in the front garden and stepping inside Ryan's was stolen.

He said: “I was so pleased to get it on Monday. When I realised it was gone I got really annoyed and very upset.

“It was my pride and joy and I had only had it four days. I am still really annoyed; I haven't finished all the jobs yet. I was given the last few pounds up front.”

Ryan's dad, Paul, said his son is “a bit stuck” without a bike.

“We live out in Rendlesham and his friends are all in Woodbridge so his bike is his lifeline in the holidays,” he said.

And now Ryan will have to wait until his birthday in November to replace the bike.

In the meantime he is trying to fix his old one to make sure he doesn't miss out on more of the holidays with his friends.

Do you know where Ryan's bike is? Anyone with any information should contact Suffolk police on 01473 613500.

Have you lost a prized possession? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.