THE smile is back on the face of a seven-year-old school boy after he was reunited with his stolen scooter.

Jake Tallent was distraught when it went missing from the Mill Meadows adventure play area in Henley on Saturday.

He was with his mother Emma and they left the toy, which was given to him by his grandparents as a birthday present in July, leaning against a tree while they went to pay to use the putting green.

A few minutes later Jake saw a group of older boys go by with what looked like his matt black Big Foot stunt scooter. Jake rushed back to the tree to find it missing.

Mrs Tallent, of Park Road, Henley, taped a poster appealing for the return of the scooter on the tree from where it was taken.

Jake, a pupil at Trinity School, said: “I was very, very sad and I cried. My Nan and Grandad bought it for me for my birthday and I love playing on it.” On Tuesday the family received a call to say that the scooter had been handed in at Henley police station. Jake was reunited with it on Wednesday and found his name and address label had been peeled off.

He said: “I was really glad and very happy when I found out that I would be getting it back. My mum was really pleased.”

Jake’s grandmother Jan, who is visiting from Canterbury, was amazed that the scooter had been returned.

“I think having the little sob story and the fact that some older boys had been seen with the scooter helped,” she said. “I am thrilled it has been returned.” Immediately after the theft, Mrs Tallent said: “It’s hard to believe a seven-year-old’s scooter would be stolen from the park in our beautiful town of Henley and I hope that the boys who took it might think how they would feel if it happened to them.”

Published 09/09/12