THE three children who had their Manchester United BMX bikes stolen before they had even ridden them are smiling again.

For their beloved football club is giving them three brand new replacement bikes.

Heartbroken mum Amanda Moores bought the three identical bikes at Christmas to cheer the boys up because they were still missing their brother Ryan who died of meningitis in 1994 when he was just 17 months old.

They hadn't even ridden their new bikes because, when they were delivered from the catalogue firm, parts were missing.

Mrs Moores chose the distinctive bikes for Lee 11; Aaron, nine; and Shaun, aged seven, because they are mad keen Manchester United fans. Five-year-old Rebecca, Ryan's twin sister, was bought a Barbie bike, but the thieves left that behind.

And in a cruel twist of fate, the missing brake blocks that had stopped the boys riding the bikes arrived the morning the family discovered they were missing from the garage at their home on Peel Park Crescent, Little Hulton.

Mrs Moores contacted Manchester United to tell them about the theft and the club promised to send the boys some goody bags to cheer them up.

But today big hearted club staff decided to go one better - and give them new bikes.

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