Family’s joy as stolen hand-made trike is returned after quick-thinking resident alerts police
Ely family reunited with trike: Heather Brooks, from Cambridge Road, with children Reuben and Jasper. - Credit: Archant
A mother from Ely has spoke of her delight after their family’s hand-made trike, which they use to transport their children around in, was returned less than 24 hours after it was stolen from their home.
Heather Brooks with children Reuben (1) and Jasper (5). - Credit: Archant
Instead of a car, Heather Brooks uses a bright turqoise trike to transport her two boys, Jasper, five, and Reuben, one, around the city and to school.
Mrs Brooks and her husband, Sammy, woke on Monday morning (May 16) to find the trike was gone – but some quick thinking from a member of the public meant it was returned safely to their Cambridge Road home just hours later.
“We woke up in the morning at around 8am and the trike wasn’t there,” Mrs Brooks said.
“My husband phoned the police straight away and I posted on social media asking if anyone had seen it.
“I don’t drive, so the trike is our only form of transport. I use it for the school run and Jasper was really upset about it being stolen.”
Police were alerted to two thefts in the area – the trike and a barbeque – by a member of the public, and officers later made an arrest and the items were returned.
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“We got a call at around two in the afternoon from the police saying they had the trike,” Heather said. “I was obviously very happy and when I went to pick Jasper up from school he was really excited.
“Jasper goes to the Isle of Ely Primary School, which isn’t too far away, but the trike has a lot of sentimental value to us.
“It originally had a basket on the back but Sammy and I built the box for the boys, and they’ve helped paint it a few different colours over the year that we’ve had it.
“It might just look like a trike to most people but for us it’s got a lot of sentimental value. The boys will look back when they’re older and say ‘our Mum used to take us to school on a home-made trike,’ which is quite nice.”
