A CYCLIST whose money to fund a charity bike ride was stolen in a Tavistock café last Friday afternoon is hoping the thieves have a conscience. Steve Armstrong had stopped off for refreshment at the Original Pasty House with his six fellow cyclists but forgot to take with him his bag of money, containing more than £250, when he left the premises at around 4pm. Five minutes later he returned to find the money, to pay for accommodation and food, was gone. He said: ?I had literally been a few minutes when I realised I had forgotten the bag which I had left on the table. ?It was a bit stupid of me but as everybody arrived and we were all talking I just lost sight of the bag and it went out of my head. ?Ironically, I was just thinking about buying a belt to put my money in when I noticed I did not have the bag on me. I went back into the cafe and fully expected someone to have handed it in. ?I am sure 99.9 % of the population would not have stolen the money ? I am just hoping this person has a guilty conscience.? Mr Armstrong said the theft had not put him off Tavistock or embarking on more charity ventures. ?Sadly it cost me double what I had planned after paying my expenses for the trip, but I suppose I should have been more careful,? he added. The 125-mile Devon coast-to-coast trip is expected to raise between £2,000 and £3,000 for the St Barnabas Hospice in Lincoln where Mr Armstrong?s father was cared for before he died. The money was contained in a small plastic supermarket carrier and anyone who saw it being taken should contact PC Ian Gillibrand at Tavistock Police Station on 08452 777444. Nigel Eadie, owner of the Original Pasty House, said: ?This is totally out of character with the nature of Tavistock. We are very surprised and shocked and hope whoever has taken the money can do a bit of soul-searching and return it as quickly as possible to a very worthy cause.?