WEST Mercia Police have stumped up £145 to the Tracy Sollis Leukaemia Trust after Sue Sollis complained to the chief constable over the recovery of her moped.

The ardent fund-raiser reported her moped stolen last December.

In May she received a tip- off about who might have taken it and immediately passed the information on to the police.

The moped was later recovered from the river near to her Evesham home, however, she was incensed to be told that it had been taken to a garage in Chipping Campden where a fee of £145 would be charged for its release.

Mrs Sollis said: "I could not believe it. I had been in close touch with the police and even found out who had taken my moped, but they didn't bother to let me know where it was.

"I could have easily recovered the bike myself - it had been washed up by the river bank.

"The bill I was being asked to pay was outrageous and I had no way of getting my moped back from Chipping Campden.

"I paid the fee out of my own pocket, but asked that the police make the cheque payable to the trust."

In a letter the force solicitor, Les Martin, said: "I recognise your unhappiness about the circumstances surrounding the recovery of your moped."

He went on to explain that the police did not provide a recovery service and instead made arrangement through the AA for abandoned or stolen vehicles to be recovered by local garages.

He stressed that the police did not profit by the arrangements and as a gesture of goodwill on this occasion the police decided to donate some cash to the charity.

Mr Martin added: "The police tried to contact you on the telephone on three occasions before calling out the garage."

Mrs Sollis's moped is now out of action, awaiting repair.