A MUM has released an image of her son’s prized stolen mountain bike in the hope it will become “too hot to handle” and be returned.

Angela Ellwood, of Peterlee, said her her 14-year-old son was with three girls when they were approached in a field in nearby Horden by a gang of 10 thugs, accompanied by an elder woman

One of the men allegedly grabbed the dark bottle green Fuji Auric 1.3lt mountain bike, from her son Billy Clarence.

The Northern Echo:

She said: “My son’s bike was stolen from him in broad daylight by a group of people males aged 18 to 20 and a woman in her 30s in a field behind Hawthorn Crescent.

“Billy stays out of trouble and rides this bike morning till night. We paid £2,000 for this bike – a lot of which he saved himself – for a Christmas and birthday present. All he wanted was a good bike. It sickens me that thugs and bullies think they can just take it from him.”

"In releasing pictures of it, I want to try and make it too hot to handle.”

Billy said: “I was sitting with my friends when a woman in her 30s came up the road with a group of younger men, aged 18 to 20-years-old.

“One of my friends had a nervous laugh and started giggling. The woman started screaming and swearing asking what we were laughing at.

“I was explaining we weren’t laughing at them. My friends were scared and starting walking down an alley, when one of the men ran back up and grabbed my bike.

“I tried to keep hold of it but he just pulled it out of my hands and ran away with it.”

Billy described the woman, who went toward the Horden Coast Road, as having her hair in a bun, with thick eyebrows and “quite chubby”. She was wearing a pink T-shirt. Two of friends recognised her as a well-known character in the village.

He added: "I have been saving up all year for this bike, doing loads of work for people, gardening and so on. My mum and dad went halves on the bike. I don’t get into trouble and don't bother anyone."

A Durham Police spokesperson said: "We received reports that a bike was stolen from a teenage boy, near to Ash Crescent, in Horden, at around 5.15pm on Tuesday.

"The Fuji bike is metallic green and is alleged to have been taken by another teenager who is described as around 18-years-old with short dark hair and wearing a dark blue/grey tracksuit. Inquiries are ongoing."

Anyone with information should contact Durham Police on 101 quoting incident reference number 340 of June 2.