A HAMPSHIRE cyclist has been reunited with his new road bike after finding it up for sale on eBay – just miles from where it was stolen.

John Whalvin, from Rownhams, was furious when his three-day-old Boardman CX road bike was stolen from outside Southampton Solent University’s library.

Determined to get it back, the 41-year-old scoured the Internet to see if the thieves would sell it online. And sure enough he tracked it down to an address in Eastleigh two days later.

The next day his wife went to view the bike, posing as an interested customer, and called police.

She took possession of the bike and stayed until officers arrived, who then arrested the seller.

He told police he had bought it a few days previously on another Internet site.

John said: “When I found it online I was physically shaking and when we got it back I felt a whole weight of relief.”

A 25-year-old man from Eastleigh has been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and has been bailed until September 9.