A seven-year-old boy has given his old bike to a boy with a potentially crippling condition who had his stolen.

Kind-hearted - a delighted Peter Kelly tries out the bike given to him by George Pinkerton Picture: STEVE ARGENT

George Pinkerton, saw an article about Peter Kelly's stolen bike in the Evening Gazette's sister paper, the Braintree and Witham Times, and told his dad that he wanted to give him his old bike.

Stuart Pinkerton, 31, of Church Street, Bocking, said: "He was looking through the paper and saw that Peter was about the same age and said as he had just had his birthday, rather than putting his old bike in the skip, could he give his old bike to him."

George and his dad took his old mountain bike around to Peter's home in Great Notley on Friday evening after Mr Pinkerton got in touch with Peter's school, Earls Colne Primary School, for Peter's mum Linda to get in contact with him.

Peter suffers from a disease called perthes, which affects his hips. He had used his bike for ten minutes a day to keep his joints supple before thieves broke in to the shed in Ridings Avenue, Great Notley, on Friday, May 14, and stole it.

Mrs Kelly said: "I was in tears on Friday. I really didn't expect it."

Published Tuesday May 25, 2004

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