A GLENGORMLEY teenager has been reunited with his bike after it had been stolen in the New Lodge.
The 16-year-old was out cycling in North Belfast last weekend when his bike was stolen from outside a shop at the bottom of the New Lodge Road.
The family contacted local Sinn Féin councillor JJ Magee who put them in touch with Community Restorative Justice Ireland (CRJI) in the area.
After raising the stolen bike with contacts in the local community, the bike was found by Gerry O'Reilly from New Lodge Housing Office.
The teenager's mum, Sara McCloskey said she was so thankful for the help in the New Lodge community for reuniting the bike with her son.
"My son got the bike as a Christmas present last year," she explained.
"He was out cycling on Saturday and it was stolen from outside a shop at the bottom of the New Lodge Road. He had to walk home to Glengormley.
"We drove about to see if we could find it. We then spotted a fella on the bike on Sunday and tried to follow him but lost him around Tesco.
"I then contacted local Sinn Féin councillor JJ Magee who got in touch with CRJ in the New Lodge.
"Thanks to their work with local contacts, it was discovered by Gerry O’Reilly from New Lodge Housing Office.
"My son couldn’t believe it when we told him it had been found. He just thought that it was gone.
"I can’t thank enough everyone for helping us out. I am not from the area so I really appreciated all the help in finding the bike."
Sean Osborne, from CRJ New Lodge said it was a "good news story" that they were able to reunite the family with the bike.
"It shows the CRJ process works. Sara came into us and told us what happened.
"Using local contacts, I was able to put the information out there with details and pictures of the bike in the community.
"I raised it at the community clinic and around an hour later, Gerry O’Reilly contacted me to say he had found a bike.
"Sara confirmed it was her son’s bike and we are delighted that he has been reunited with his beloved bike."
