AN ANGRY mother-of-three is demanding compensation from the council after thieves stole her son's bike for the second time by walking into her hallway through a broken door.

Ann-Marie Farnsworth, of Ennerdale Close, Warndon, says her 10-year-old son Michael is "devastated" at the theft of the bike which was snatched from a communal hall at her maisonette last Tuesday.

She claimed her landlord, Worcester City Council, is to blame for the theft after ignoring her pleas to have the broken door leading to the flats repaired.

She is now demanding housing chiefs pay £900 to cover the cost of the mountain bike which was bought as a replacement for his first bike stolen from the hallway six weeks ago.

"I pay my rent to the council and expect to have a secure door," said 27-year-old Miss Farnsworth.

"This is the second time this has happened and as far as I'm concerned, the council is responsible for the theft because if the door wasn't broken, the thieves wouldn't be able to get in.

"I am planning to go and price up a new bike, helmet and knee pads and send the quote, together with the receipts from the other bikes, to the council.

"Michael is very upset about it because he can't go out to play with his friends who've all got bikes.

"My other son Liam, aged four, and daughter Amy, aged two, have both got bikes but the thieves left those alone.

"I'm unemployed and it took me ages to save up to buy the bikes - I won't be able to afford another one," she said.

Iain Harkness, housing manager for Worcester City Council, said: "We would like to try and get any door entry system repaired as quickly as we can and that is what we will concentrate on.

"We have arranged for the inspection and repair to take place shortly."