A YOUNG boy had a New Year's surprise when members of the community rallied together to buy him a new bike, after his was stolen last weekend.

Five-year-old Alfie Hearn and his two siblings all received new bikes for Christmas — but Alfie only managed to ride his once before it was stolen from the family's garage in Tiddybrook, Tavistock on Saturday, December 29.

Alfie's mother Lizzy, said: 'The garage is locked but a neighbour said that the door was ajar and that we had better check there was nothing missing because hers had been broken into the same evening. Alfie had only ridden it once on Christmas day.'

When Lizzy's partner checked the garage, he discovered Alfie's bike was missing.

Lizzy said: 'We reported it to the police, and they said there had been five other break-ins in Tiddybrook that evening. It was a shock because our garden is very overlooked and the police said they must have come over the back garden fence, but it is quite a drop.'

Lizzy said that she had put a notice on her Facebook page to ask people to keep an eye out for the bike and to warn people about the break-ins.

By Monday a lady called Ali, whom the family did not know, set up a Facebook page urging for donations to help buy a new bike for Alfie.

Lizzy said: 'I don't know exactly how many people donated because there were so many — people I don't even know. It was great to show Alfie that there are good people out there and they're not all bad.'

After donations flooded in, Alfie was able to get a new bike by Wednesday (January 2).

Both Alfie and Lizzy have expressed huge thanks to Ali and to everyone who donated.

Anyone who has any information about the stolen bike should contact police on 101, quoting crime reference number JT/12/1627.