A burglar who stole an elderly man’s bicycles also stole his victim’s “independence”, police say.

Daniel Hayes, 40 of Nelson Street, burgled the home on Poplar Street, Tyldesley on the night of April 10 to April 11 and stole two bicycles belonging to an 82-year-old man.

Officers investigating the crime described the bicycles as the elderly man’s “prized possessions” and moved in to investigate.

A police statement said: “Earlier in the week we posted about an 82-year-old victim of crime who sadly had his home burgled taking his beloved bicycles and with that his independence as his only means of transport.

“Following an investigation by PC Reynolds and PC Caunce of the Abram and Hindley Neighbourhood Policing Team, Daniel Hayes aged 40 years from the Tyldesley area has been charged with handling stolen goods and fraud in relation to this.”

Hayes was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months.

Although officers were not able to recover the stolen bikes, Gearing Up, a nearby social enterprise was on hand to donate a racing bike to the elderly victim

A police statement said: “Whilst this cannot replace the one that was stolen or repair the emotional harm such a serious offence causes, we hope this random act of kindness put a smile on his face and in turn put a smile on yours.”