A TEENAGER was left badly shaken after being mugged for his mountain bike.

Justin Farquhar, 16, was attacked by two men as he cycled past the local shops in The Avenue, Abbey Meads.

He said: "I went to the shops to get some milk for my mum and on my way back I rode my bike past an alleyway.

"Two men pushed me off my bike, I fell to the floor and they rode off with it.

"I thought how could this happen to me, I love my bike and ride everywhere on it."

Justin suffered bruising to his arm when he fell from his bike.

He described the men who robbed him as in their early 20s and wearing hooded tops which covered their faces. One of them was wearing Fila trainers.

The attack happened outside the vets surgery at 8pm on Monday.

Justin's mother Tracey, 34, a single parent with two other children, said she saved up for a year to buy the £400 Barracuda Showdown mountain.

She said: "We saved up very hard for that bike so it is quite upsetting.

"I was quite surprised because he was over at Abbey Meads and I didn't think that sort of thing happened over there because it's quite a nice area.

"Originally he was going to walk over there but I said ride your bike thinking it would be safer for him.

"Hew as in a terrible state when he came home he was really upset and probably in shock."

She added: "I don't know if I will be able to afford to get him another bike for a long time."

Anyone with any information about this attack can contact PC Christopher Woodhouse on 528111.

Police would particularly like to hear from anyone who has been recently offered a bike like the one stolen for sale or anyone who spotted anything suspicious in the Abbey Meads area.