A "cocky" thief stuck his finger up at a cyclist as he mounted his bike and rode away saying "I'm nicking your bike mate."
The teenager saw his bike being stolen on Lark Lane at 3.55pm yesterday afternoon, as he came out of the co-op to find the thief climbing on the bike and riding away "doing a wheelie" down the road.
In despair over the incident, the victim was heard shouting "what are you doing?" after him by one witness, to which the "cocky" thief responded "I'm nicking your bike mate" and stuck his finger up in the air.
And despite the teen chasing him down the road and round the corner, Marie Dewhurst, 56, who watched what happened from the side of the road, said "there was no way he was going to catch up to him."
The bike is described as a green Cannondale mountain bike with blue markings and a black frame.
Left in tears over the incident, Marie said: "I just feel so sorry for him. He was shouting after him saying what are you doing, what are you doing?
"And the guy replied I'm nicking your bike mate and was doing a wheelie down the road.
"The lad was so upset and mortified he just ran down the road after him but there was no way he was going to catch up.
"The guy that did it was so cocky and horrible and thought he was clever giving him the finger.
"It was a lovely afternoon in an area that people think is nice and this happens. There was six or seven of us standing on the side of the road dumbfounded by what had just happened."
Since the incident, Marie has contacted the ECHO in the hope that someone will come forward with information about the thief and the bike will be returned to its owner.
She added: "I just want to do something for the lad who got his bike nicked and for anyone who knows anything about what happened to contact the police.
"I think people get a false sense of security on Lark Lane but they just need to be their guard in that area when they're having something to eat or shopping because they might be the prey of criminals."
A spokesman for Merseyside Police, said: "We can confirm that an investigation is underway following the theft of a bicycle in Aigburth yesterday, Thursday 11 July.
"At 3.55pm, officers were called to Lark Lane to reports of a mountain bike being stolen from inside the Co-Op convenience store when an unknown person stole it.
"The suspect is described as white, 17-21 years old, 5ft 10in, of skinny build, short brown hair and wearing an orange t-shirt and green tracksuit bottoms. He made off on the bike in the direction of Sefton Park."
CCTV and witness enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information or who witnessed the incident can contact @MerPolCC, call 101 with reference 19100372674 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
