A COUNCILLOR whose electric tricycle was stolen in Cookley, near Kidderminster, has been reunited with it thanks to the "public spirit" of a man who found it abandoned and responded to a police appeal in the Shuttle/Times & News.

The Electro Ped tricycle, worth £800, was stolen earlier this month from outside the home of Cookley and Wolverley parish councillor, Stephen Rushton, in Bridge Road.

The battery was not on the trike at the time and Mr Rushton, a former mayor of Kidderminster, said it would have taken at least two strong people to have lifted the heavy machine up 12 steps to the roadside and pedalled it away.

Fortunately, the tricycle was found abandoned nearby on a secluded right of way near the premises of Titan Steel Wheels, also in Bridge Road.

The firm's chief production engineer, Neil Vivash, put the machine in a lock-up there for safe keeping and phoned police after seeing an appeal for information about the theft in the Shuttle/Times & News.

Mr Rushton, 60, who has now been reunited with his machine, said: "I am absolutely delighted with the result and to know that there are at least some public spirited people out there who are willing not to turn a blind eye.

"People often complain about crime but they are not helping. If people came forward more often it would make the job of the police a lot easier.

"It's just a simple phone call but people often don't report things and, at the end of the day, officers can only act on the information they receive. Something might appear insignificant but may link in with other things that are important to the police.

"Officers have a difficult job to do and I don't think the public always understands how they have to prioritise their resources. However, I have to say the service I have received has been excellent."

Mr Vivash said he had initially pushed the machine into an air raid shelter but then transferred it to the lock-up as he felt it was in danger of being vandalised.

He said Mr Rushton had been delighted when he turned up to identify the trike and added: "I do agree that if a few more people picked up the phone to report things we wouldn't have so many problems."

Local policing officer for Cookley and Wolverley, PC Sally Sliwinska, commented: "We're glad that we were able to get Mr Rushton's bike back for him and very grateful to Mr Vivash for getting in touch.

"We would always encourage people to come forward and report anything they consider suspicious or think could help an investigation."