A BOY’S 15th birthday celebration have been ruined by burglars who stole his main present.

Joseph Beard, who turns 15 today, returned to his home in Glenwood Avenue, Westcliff, to find his new bike had been stolen.

The £140 smoky blue Apollo Ridge men’s bike had been given to him a week early.

Crooks removed a plastic panel from the back door to get in and also cut away a lock on the garden shed where Joseph’s new bike was kept.

His mum, Michelle, 38, is angry as she cannot afford to replace the bike or buy her son another present.

She said: ”He’s just absolutely gutted. It was the first time he’d had a bike in years. He goes running at Southend Athletics Club. He was using it to get there because he wanted to be a bit more independent and didn’t want to rely on his dad. It’s so sad. He’s always going to look back on his 15th birthday and remember someone took what wasn’t theirs.”

Joseph arrived home alone at 3.40pm on Tuesday and couldn’t get the front door open. The burglars had bolted it after getting into the house by removing a UPVC panel in the back door.

A laptop belonging to his 19-year-old brother, Nicholas, was also stolen, containing work for his sports science degree studies.

Mrs Beard added: “You don’t expect people to dismantle the back door. If you’d left a window open, at least at least you could say you’d be more careful in future, but how can you stop someone taking your door apart?”

A police spokesman said: “We have increased their patrols in the area. We’re also contacting secondhand dealers about the property stolen, in case they are offered the items.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Southend’s CID Target Team on 0300 3334444.