A COLWALL mum turned into a 'bike thief' for a day to teach her son a valuable lesson.

George Ball discovered that his bike had been "stolen" on Saturday from Malvern Splash and the theft was reported to the police.

But unbeknown to George, who was swimming at the time, his mum, Sarah Stayte, had walked past the Splash, noticed George's bike left unlocked outside the swimming pool and promptly "nicked" it to teach her son a lesson.

Mrs Stayte, admitted it was a little bit cruel.

"But sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind," she said.

"If it hadn't been me it might have been someone else who took it.

"I don't know whether this will work, time will tell, but I hope this might have shocked him into locking it up in the future," she said.

PC Steve Chidlow said George's family had taken an "unorthodox approach" to the problem.

"It's one we wouldn't encourage other parents to adopt but clearly we are delighted this story had a happy ending and are confident that George has learnt his lesson as a result," he said.

Two bikes were stolen by "real" thieves this week from Malvern - a green Townsend Brooklands bike worth £200 and a silver mountain bike.

PC Chidlow said cyclists should secure their bikes with a D shackle every time they leave it.

"It may hardly seem worth the effort if it's only left for a few moments or if it's still in your sight but the theft will be quick and the distress and inconvenience will last much longer," he said.