A GRIEVING woman is offering a reward for the return of a prized bike given to her by her late boyfriend.

Hannah Chalk is desperate to get back the bike that thieves stole, particularly as it carries memories of her time with PC Richard Phillips-Schofield, who died in a cycling incident a year ago.

Still struggling to come to terms with her loss, Hannah has renewed her efforts to trace the bike and has now put up a reward of £250 for information leading to its return.

As previously reported, Hannah’s bike was one of five stolen from sheds in a five-day period in Pitmore Road, Allbrook, in January.

Keen cyclist Richard gave the bike to Hannah two years before his death so the couple, who lived in Hedge End, could go out riding together.

The 27-year-old, who holds dear everything that Richard – her partner for six years up until his death – gave her, was left devastated by its loss.

Richard, who served at Bitterne police station and policed Southampton for ten years, came off his race bike in a British Cycling event at the Mountbatten Centre velodrome in Portsmouth in March last year.

He died 48 hours later, aged just 33.

Hannah has not felt able to use the blue Cannondale F700 since his death, but found that thieves had got into her back garden and taken it from a locked shed.

Despite an appeal in the Daily Echo, which she hoped might prick someone’s conscience, the bike has not turned up.

“It is disappointing because it’s somewhere, somebody knows something, somebody’s got it,” said Hannah, who works in sales for an IT company.

“Nothing’s going to be as bad as losing Rich but this is something that can be changed.”

Hannah thinks it is possible the bike could be in the hands of someone who is completely unaware of its previous ownership or importance and is hoping her renewed appeal will bring a breakthrough.

“I’m not going to give up. I’m going to continue to look for it until I find it one day,” she added.

“It would mean such a lot to get it back and I’m willing to do whatever I need to do to try to make that happen.

“If they [the person responsible] could only imagine if it was them in this position and they’d lost somebody they loved with all their heart and something special between them was stolen from them.”

Daily Echo:

The bike has black and red wheels, a black drinks holder, a white saddle and the handlebars are dark blue and red.

Anyone with information on this, or any of the thefts, between January 14 and 18, is asked to call Eastleigh police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.