A CYCLING enthusiast has been left ‘devastated’ after three valued bikes were stolen from his garage.

Thieves stole the road bikes from Tim Simmons and his wife Emma after breaking into the garage of their home in Stratton.

Mr Simmons, 45, said the replacement value of the bikes was around £7,500 but it was the sentimental value as much as anything that has been hard to bear.

Two of the cycles were carbon fibre Scott road bikes, one of which Mr Simmons had covered 14,000 miles on – including a number of Alpine peaks featured in the Tour de France.

The third bike was the most expensive and was one he was effectively building himself for another Alpine challenge this summer, when he planned to attempt the peak of Alpe d’Huez in less than an hour.

Mr Simmons said: “It’s my passion and my hobby.

“I’m not materialistic in any way but my bicycles are like children to me.

“I work hard to be able to afford my hobby and I’m just absolutely devastated that my prized possessions have been taken from me.”

Mr Simmons said the offenders broke into the garage through a rear door while he and his wife were out at work.

He said that, following discussions with police, it could well have been someone that had specifically targeted the road bikes as there were a number of other bicycles in the garage that were left untouched.

Company director Mr Simmons said: “We are a family of five and we are all cycling enthusiasts.

“There were 13 bikes in the garage and they just targeted the three road bikes.”

Two of the stolen bikes belonged to Mr Simmons and the other to his wife.

Mr Simmons is backing a police appeal for witnesses to the break-in, which occurred between 9am and 3pm on Tuesday, and is urging anyone with any information about the theft to contact the police.

Inspector Steve Marsh confirmed police were investigating the theft and urged any witnesses to contact Dorchester Police on 101.

He added that a similar incident saw a Carrera Bike stolen from a property in Maiden Newton on Wednesday night and, although police were not certain, it was possible that the two offences could be linked.