TEARS turned to smiles for a Lancaster youngster when his treasured bike was returned home... thanks to the Citizen.

Andrew Fairbairn was fixing a flat tyre on his Apollo Vortice BMX in Ryelands Park when a man in his twenties grabbed it and cycled away.

The nine-year-old, pictured right, was devastated by the theft - but following a report in last week's Citizen the bike was discovered in an alleyway,

His mum Vanessa says: "He is over the moon. Police say the person who found it read the story in the Citizen. we are so grateful and delighted to have the bike back."

She says her son is still riding his bike to and from Skerton Primary School every day but is now 'very wary' and will not stop on the way.