A BOY who had his bike stolen in a Dudley park has been given a new one thanks to the generosity of a police officer and a local bike shop.

Daniel Lovell, aged 15, had stopped for a rest in Buffery Park when he was approached by a man who stole his bike, leaving him stranded.

The incident left Daniel concerned about going out and he began to spend most of his time inside.

When police constable Andy Peters saw the impact it had on him, he set about finding a way to replace his bike for free.

Dudley Police said: "Last year was a difficult year, especially for young people.

"Daniel, who is from Tipton, decided to spend his free time learning to ride a bike to keep fit with the idea of cycling to local football stadiums with a friend.

"One day he was taking a rest in Buffery Park when he was approached by a man who stole his bike, leaving him completely stranded."

PC Peters found there were a few bikes kept at Brierley Hill police station that had been recovered, seized or donated.

He arranged for it to be fixed up by Cycles 4U, which is based in Pensnett Road in Brierley Hill.

Store owner Steve Jones carried out the work for free.

Daniel, along with his mum and uncle, was invited to Cycles 4U Direct, last Friday (February 26) he was surprised with the new mountain bike.

He was overjoyed with the gift and even stopped to pose for pictures with Steve and PC Peters to celebrate.

PC Peters said: “From what I have seen, Daniel is a caring and hard-working boy who has had his confidence knocked by what happened to him.

“I was determined to help in some way and show them that despite the negative situation, something positive can come out of it.

"Dudley is an amazing town with some truly wonderful people and I cannot thank Steve enough for rallying to help.

"We also used money raised by officers and staff to purchase Daniel new lights and a bike lock to keep him safe when he’s back out touring the stadiums.

“At West Midlands Police we strive to prevent crime, protect the public and help those in need. I hope this small gesture shows that we do care, and we will help.”

Investigations into the theft are ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight or call 101 anytime giving crime reference 20DY/135098J/20.