Robbers floor teen with special needs in Christmas Eve bike robbery

James Bleasdale, aged 17, was pushed into the side of a passing van during the incident which happened in Hadley Park Road, Telford, on Christmas Eve.

His grandmother and carer Lesley Cunningham, said the teen, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was riding home when he was set upon by a group of young men who stole his Carrera bike.

“He was punched off his bike and he fell to the floor into the path of a van,” she said.

“He fell into the side of the van and was unconscious for a short while afterwards. Fortunately the van driver heard the thud on the side of the van and stopped and a lady who was on her way home from church also came to his aid.

“He was taken by ambulance to the Princess Royal Hospital where they scanned his hands and his head. He was alright so they sent him home.

“James was returning home after visiting a friend. He only had the bike two months ago so that he could ride to his training centre to avoid him having to catch several buses to get there, because he finds changing buses difficult.

“He was set about by a group of about 12 lads and a witness saw it unfold. The police are calling it a robbery.

"He has been devastated by what’s happened to him so much so that when he was at the hospital he couldn’t even speak because he was so upset.

"It also meant that the police have taken the clothes he was wearing as part of the investigation and he had them for Christmas so that’s added to his distress.”

Mrs Cunningham, 61, is appealing for anyone who has seen the bicycle which has distinctive blue and white wheels to contact the police on 101 quoting incident reference 564S 2412.

West Mercia Police confirmed that it received a report of a robbery taking place on Hadley Park Road, in Leegomery on December 24 at approximately 7.20pm and that “investigations are currently ongoing”.