I WAS woken abruptly from my sleep this morning by a rather angry phone call from my boyfriend. I must add that he is not usually an angry person and remains calm in almost every situation, so I knew something must be awry. The cause of his annoyance soon became clear as he told me that someone had stolen his bicycle. He lives in a flat in a nice safe neighbourhood in Old Town and the bike was double locked in an external bike shed. Whoever took the bike would have needed wire cutters to free it so it wasn’t just an opportunist thief they knew what they were doing.

He is unable to claim on insurance as he lives with a friend and it is difficult to get contents insurance for two unrelated males living together. He was using his bike primarily to save petrol and to do his bit for the environment, seeing as a large percentage of carbon emissions are being produced by cars.

To further rub salt in the wound, it is not just a means of transport for him, he is currently enrolled in a charity bike ride from Bath to London for Action Medical Research a children's charity dedicated to improving the health of babies and children in the UK. He is doing the cycle ride with a friend from work, who are also sponsoring their endeavours along with family and friends.

Bikes are expensive and it is unlikely he will be able to raise enough money before August to buy a new bike. I would therefore like to say thank you to the idiotic thief who has potentially ruined the chance of him undertaking his sponsored bicycle ride and therefore ruining the chance for him to raise hundreds of pounds for charity.

It saddens me that such an act of extreme selfishness can have such devastating consequences. I wish whoever took the bike was able to read this and at least muster up a small amount of remorse for the lives he has potentially affected.

GEORGINA PALMER

Southdown

Wanborough

Swindon