A TEN-YEAR-OLD boy, who spent 18 months saving up for a bicycle, is heartbroken after it was stolen - only two days after he got it.

Jason Watson, of Copmanthorpe, York, collected his pocket money for 18 months to raise £100 for his dream bike, a pale blue BMX Ruption. His grandmother, Wendy Hall, gave him the remaining £90 needed to buy the bike last Thursday, April 17.

But his delight soon turned to despair when Jason left his bike at the side of the bridge in Acaster Lane, Bishopthorpe, to find his friends.

When he returned moments later the bike had vanished.

The theft was a second blow for Jason. When the bike was taken, he was staying with his grandmother at her home in Ramsey Avenue, Bishopthorpe, because his three-year-old sister, Amelia, had been rushed to hospital with medical problems.

Mrs Hall said: "He won't eat and he has been crying ever since it happened. He wrote me a letter to say how upset he was."

She said that he had already been upset and worried about his sister and he had told her that everything was going wrong. She said that the family would struggle to afford another bike, so they were keeping their fingers crossed that the thief had a change of heart and returned the BMX.

"I've been driving around the area to see if I can see anyone who is riding around on Jason's bike. I just can't believe what happened, I feel so sorry for him," she said.

"We can't afford to buy him another one and it took him 18 months to get enough money for this one. It's a nightmare."

She said that Jason had been riding his bike with two friends and he had only put the bike down for two minutes as he walked up the steps on the railway bridge to find his friends.

He had returned to her home absolutely distraught as he couldn't find his bike anywhere.

Mrs Hall said she hoped the bike had been taken by a child who thought they had found the bike, rather than stolen it. She appealed to any parents who have seen their child with the new BMX bike to hand it in to the police.

A police spokeswoman said stolen bikes were occasionally found or returned and that Jason's family should keep checking the police cycle store. Anyone with any information should phone York Police on 01904 631321.

Updated: 09:12 Monday, April 28, 2003