Eight year old boy kicked in chest by 'black-toothed' Middlesbrough bike thief

An eight-year old boy was kicked in the chest by a black-toothed bike thief - even though the youngster’s mum and dad were just yards away.

Alfie Speight was sat on the grass as mum Jane and dad John gathered golf balls for him in woodland near Middlesbrough Golf Club. But as Alfie sipped a drink of water, a man leapt out of the bushes and twice kicked the terrified schoolboy in the chest before making off on John’s new mountain bike.

The traumatised pupil of Pennyman Primary School, Netherfields, was left shaken up and with a red mark on his chest. And mum Jane says it’s beyond belief that an adult could attack a young boy for the sake of stealing a cycle.

Cleveland Police confirm they are investigating and have appealed for information.

Jane, 44, of Kenmore Road, Thorntree, said she, John and Alfie had gone out for one of their regular bike rides on Wednesday night when the attacker pounced at about 7.15pm.

She said: “Me and John were in a little woodland, no more than 100 yards away from Alfie. He was sat on the grass with our three bikes next to him.

“As we were looking for golf balls for Alfie, we heard him scream out. A man had come out of the bushes and gone towards the bikes.

“Alfie said to him ‘what are you doing? It’s my dad’s bike’ and he replied ‘not any more, it’s mine.’ Then he jumped in the air and kicked him in the chest.

“As Alfie grabbed his arm, the lad turned round, laughed in his face, kicked him in the chest again and rode off on John’s bike.”

Jane, who said the man who kicked Alfie wore heavy duty working boots, said John tried to use her bike to chase after the thief. But because its chain had come off when Alfie’s attacker stamped on it, he had escaped by the time John could ride after him.

She added: “Alfie was traumatised by what happened - he was crying, he couldn’t sleep.

“It’s shocking for an adult to do something like that to a child, just so he can steal a bike.”

And Jane says she was so angry, she even got on her bike and headed to Grove Hill in a fruitless attempt to find her son’s attacker.

“I just wanted to kill him,” she said. “Now I just want him found for what he did to my son.”

Alfie’s attacker is described as being in his late 20s, 5ft 8ins tall, of average build and with black, gappy teeth and a scar on his face. He wore a black cap and a black-grey tracksuit, with a scarf around his face and a black rucksack on his back.

The attack occurred next to the cycle path running between Sandy Flatts Lane and Cranswick Drive.

The stolen bike, which John only bought two months ago, was a red, silver and black Trek bike, with red handle grips.

Anyone with information is asked to call Cleveland Police on 101 or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.