THE FUNDRAISING hopes of a Thamesmead cyclist have been punctured after thieves stole his £500 racing bike.

Thirty-one-year-old Graeme Cooper, of Nickleby Close, was planning to take part in the 56-mile London to Southend bike ride on July 15.

Training was underway and £400 in sponsorship already collected for the British Heart Foundation.

Mr Cooper was two years old when his grandfather died and was raising the cash in his memory.

But disaster struck last week when Mr Cooper’s bike was stolen overnight from his back garden.

The father-of-five said: “I had two locks attached to it and one of them was drilled into the side of my house.

“It was my bike and my wife’s bike that were taken and they both had two chains on them.

“I felt angry, annoyed and upset when I saw it was gone.”

With his garden completely enclosed, Mr Cooper believes the thief must have eyed the bike up as he rode it home from work one evening.

He added: “It was scary someone has been watching me riding and knew I had the bike."

Stepping in to save the day, his father has since offered to lend him the money for a similar specification bike.

But with the replacement costing in the region of £600, this is a huge amount of money that could have been donated to the British Heart Foundation.

Greenwich Police confirm the theft has been reported to them and are investigating the matter.

If you have any information that may assist them with their enquiries call 101 quoting crime reference number 3611448/12.