Devastated NHS worker's plea to find bike stolen from outside hospital ahead of charity ride for breast cancer mum

Devastated: Hayley Mitchell, 28, hopes her bike will be found.

A devastated hospital worker has pleaded for thieves to return her beloved bike ahead of a breast cancer charity cycle race in honour of her mum.

Hayley Mitchell, 28, said she was “absolutely gutted” after discovering her locked-up bike had been taken from the grounds of St George’s Hospital in Tooting following a long shift at work on Friday.

The NHS manager said she had saved up for a year to buy the bike in a kind-hearted fundraising bid to ride 25k in tribute to her mother, Anne Kasey, who was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago.

Although 60-year-old Ms Kasey recovered from the illness and is now in remission, she has recently been undergoing brain surgery to treat a separate disorder which causes shaking in her hands.

Ms Mitchell, who recently moved from Clapham to Sutton to help care for her mum, told the Standard: “I’m just absolutely gutted.

Nickname: The custom design on Hayley's bike.

“I know it’s just an object but it’s really changed my life. It completely changed my fitness and my mentality.

“The bike cost £500, I saved up all year to buy it so I can ride the Pink Ribbon Tour.”

The charity tour, planned for June 11, is a 25k bicycle ride through London to raise money for Breast Cancer Care.

It will follow the same route as the last leg of The Women's Tour, one of the most prestigious female cycling races in the world.

Ms Mitchell added: “I was working quite late on Friday and then went to the pub nearby for a couple of drinks then when I came back it was gone.

“It was locked up near to one of the main wings of the hospital. The bike was gone and half the lock was left dangling.”

Ms Mitchell said she still plans to complete the Pink Ribbon Tour and the shop where she bought the bike, Pearson Cycles in Sutton, kindly offered to lease her a new model to complete the race.

But she still hopes her own bike will be found.

The model, which is a white Trek Neko WSD 2016, had been personalised with a custom paint design spelling her name – Haze.

She added: “It’s got my nickname on so it’s not much use to anyone else.

“I'm not angry, I know life is hard and we all get desperate from time to time. I'm just incredibly sad and disappointed, but I'm hopeful that goodness will prevail.”

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