A SCHOOLBOY has been left heartbroken after a bike, bought with money left by his granddad when he died, was stolen.

Dean Walker, aged 15, of Barmouth Close, Callands, called the £470 mountain bike ‘the last present from my granddad’.

He said: “We were really close and it’s the last thing he ever gave me.

“After he died I felt like any 15-year-old boy would after losing their granddad - I was devastated.

“The criminals who take these things don’t care about where they came from.”

Dean’s granddad, Colin Walker, died suddenly on November 24 last year, aged 63, after suffering deep vein thrombosis.

He left money to Dean’s dad, Chris Walker, aged 40, of Dove Close, Birchwood.

Mr Walker decided to treat his son who had been working hard at St Gregory’s High School in Westbrook, where he is a pupil.

Dean also does volunteer work at the Peace Centre, and used the bike to travel to a part time job coaching junior rugby league in Widnes.

It was stolen from the garden at the rear of his home address where it was chained and locked to a BBQ.

He added: “Perhaps if it wasn’t a present from my granddad I would have reacted differently.

“But because it was the last thing he gave me, and my way of being independent, I’m quite angry.”

Dad Mr Walker said: “He got on so well with his granddad, so I took him to Decathlon on Winwick Road to buy this fantastic bike.

“He was over the moon and went straight home and put pictures of it on Facebook, saying ‘look what my granddad bought me’.

“When it was stolen he was heartbroken.

“I just don’t have the money to buy him another one.

“We’re appealing for anyone who might have seen it to come forward and help us.”

Anyone with information can call police on 101.