A thief brazenly stole an arthritic funeral-goer’s only mode of transport in broad daylight - as he grieved for a friend just yards away.

Shocked Sidmothian Mike Green became a victim of crime when he least expected it when his bicycle went missing as he attended a service to remember Margaret Matthews.

Now, the 67-year-old says the town is a different place from the town he grew up in - and he will have to buy a replacement if it is not returned.

“The days are gone when you can trust people,” said Mike, of Sid Park Road.

“But it’s my own fault really - I should have locked it.”

Mike, who admits he is not as mobile as he once was, added: “It’s easier for me to cycle than walk – I’ll have to shell out another £200 to replace it.”

He said Sidmouth was safer when he was a boy, when he could leave his bike unlocked while delivering papers.

The bike went missing from outside the parish church in the half-hour he was at the service.

Mike first thought that the bike had been moved by a church warden, but soon learnt it had gone missing.

“I doubt I’ll get it back,” he said.

The former bricklayer added that it was ironic the pushbike had been taken while he was at Margaret’s funeral, as he used to leave it in her front garden when he came into town.

His sister-in-law, Una Ford, said: “I’m so aggrieved this could happen while we were at a funeral.”

PCSO Steve Blanchford-Cox was among the congregation and requested that his on-duty colleagues check the town’s CCTV.

“We were in there only half an hour,” he said. “That said, it wouldn’t have happened if the bike had been secured.”

The silver Parallax men’s mountain bike was taken on Monday between 2.30pm and 3pm.

Police have asked anyone who saw the incident or someone pushing a bike in the area around that time to call their non-emergency number, 101, and quote reference number KS/13/159.