An Angus schoolgirl is back on the move after a Good Samaritan turned her gloomy month around.
Sophie Gowans, 10, was devastated by the theft of two bikes over the course of four weeks.
And the audacity of the second bike’s theft was compounded by the fact the Arbroath girl had only won it a week before.
Sophie’s pink Vivid Apollo mountain bike was stolen from outside her home on Ernest Street last month, and thieves struck again last week.
The Hayshead Primary School pupil’s mum, Shona, said a public appeal to find the culprits had led to her receiving a Facebook message from big-hearted Eamonn Purdie.
“He said he had heard about Sophie’s bike and that he had one that wasn’t being used,” she said.
“It’s not absolutely new but it’s new to her and it’s in good condition for a wee girl.
“It took me 15 months to save up to buy the first bike. Because she’s growing I bought a mountain bike that was the next size up, so it could do her a bit longer.
“But it’s not going to last forever so we would love the first one back. And I would still like people to get in touch with the police.”
The Gowans family expressed their thanks to Mr Purdie, and Sophie was overjoyed to be able to go back outside on her new fuchsia bike.
“I love pink, it’s my favourite colour,” she said.
Her mum said that, of the three bikes left outside their home, only Sophie’s was taken.
“We have a shed we share with neighbours and we keep everything in it,” she added.
“We got some new neighbours and they had filled the shed with lots of rubbish. We had to leave the bikes outside overnight and the next day it was gone.”
In a twist of fate, Sophie won a replacement bike at a raffle at Hayshead’s spring fayre before it was also stolen.
Shona added: “We think it was quite early in the morning because I had secured all the bikes in the shed.
“Sophie had gone out in the morning with her friends and came back from lunch and then it was gone.”
According to her mum, Sophie was distraught with yet another theft.
“She was just grateful to have a bike again,” Shona said. “She was very, very upset obviously. She’s always out on her bike.
“The moment she gets home she’ll be out on it. She just loves cycling.”
Police can easily check whether a bike belongs to Sophie as both bikes were smart-marked, so her mum appealed for anyone with any suspicion to contact police.
This can be done anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland confirmed the force is “aware of the thefts and local officers are continuing their inquiries”.
Anyone with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or speak to any officer.