A YOUNG cycling champion from Poole has been left devastated after thieves raided her bike from the back garden.

Lexie Curtis, 12, was named British champion and her club’s Rider of the Year back in August. But her next season set to start in March 2020 might now be jeopardised.

Thieves broke into the rear garden of Lexie’s family home in Pearson Avenue last Friday (November 29), also taking a road bike belonging to her dad, Lee.

Lee said: “She had the bike for three years – it was her first bike. But it’s not just the fact they’ve stolen it, Lexie is going to have to get used to a new bike now which can take a while. She is gutted, but she’s also resilient.

“I’d tweaked her old one so everything was custom, which can really help riders. Also, that style of bike isn’t for sale in this country anymore. The cheapest you can get it is for around £500, and that would have to be shipped from Poland.”

Lexie’s bike was thought to have been worth up to £300, but Zoe, Lexie’s mum, said the thieves will not have any luck selling it on.

She added: “It’s a racing bike so noone is going to want to buy it, which makes it even more frustrating. There aren’t any brakes and you can’t steer it like a normal bike.”

Zoe and Lee will now have to buy Lexie a new racing bike, unless the old one turns up “by some miracle”. They have also installed CCTV in the garden.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said they received a report at 12.35pm on December 3 of a theft of two bicycles from a garden on Pearson Avenue at 11am on November 29.

They said: “The enquiries are ongoing and no arrests have been made at this stage. Anyone with information should phone 101 quoting reference number 55190190109.