A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy was left traumatised and in tears after a group of youths stole and damaged his beloved BMX bike.

Oscar Winslow, of Wellstye Green, in Basildon, was playing football with some of his friends in the playing field near Frypa Hall, off The Fryth, when the youngsters approached them.

They picked up his BMX bike and threw it around. When he confronted them, they rode off with it.

Mum Amanda Springham, 30, told how she was horrified when he son returned home in tears.

She said: “He goes over there quite a bit with his friends. It’s right across from where we live and he has never had any problems with anyone over there before.

“He had been over there for about 20 minutes when he came running in.

“He was really upset - so much so that at first he wasn’t able to tell me what had happened. He was just crying his eyes out. I finally managed to ask him what had happened and he eventually said ‘they took my BMX’.

“I thought he was talking about his friends at first. But then he just kept saying ‘it was the bigger boys, it was the bigger boys.’ He said they had come over and picked up his bike and when he asked for it back they started riding it.

“He told them to get off and give it back, he’s quite a bolshy little boy, but they just rode off with it.”

Miss Springham and her neighbour went to see if they could find the group but had no luck.

Luckily, they were able to find the bike, which had been dumped in a nearby ditch.

Miss Springham added: “They had ripped the seat and they had obviously hit it with something as there are dents and chunks out of the paintwork. So he’s got it back but it’s in a state.”

Miss Springham has urged other parents to be aware of the incident, which took place on Tuesday, April 18.

She said: “Oscar is quite upset still, it’s definitely had a lasting affect on him. It’s a shame as he really loves going to the park.”