After 44 years of cycling, record breaker's bike stolen in UK

A cyclist who has travelled 335,500 miles on the same bike had it stolen within hours of arriving in the UK.

Heinz Stucke had just arrived in Portsmouth, Hants, on his endless voyage which began in 1962 when thieves stole his bicycle while he was asleep in his tent.

The 66-year-old from Germany said: "I would do anything to get my bike back - I'm emotionally attached to it."

Mr Stucke, who was registered as the Most Travelled Man in History in the Guinness Book of Records between 1995 and 1999, set his tent up in Island View Terrace, Portsmouth, after getting off a ferry at the nearby port.

But a few hours later, at about 3am on Monday, he went to check on his bike and discovered it was missing.

Mr Stucke, who has travelled in 165 countries, said the last time his bike was stolen was when he was travelling in Siberia 10 years ago and it was four days before it was returned to him.

He added: "It is not a very nice welcome to England especially with it being in the first few hours but I somehow have to blame myself because I take these risks, it's a fact of life.

"But it has not made me think badly about England, these things happen, this is not the only country where similar things have happened."

The stolen bicycle is black with two sets of handlebars and is covered in stickers from around the world.

Mr Stucke added: "I have been busy looking for the bike I think the fact that it has gone will sink in later.

"It was an old-style bike which doesn't exist anymore, it caught a lot of attention from people and it was a money-spinner itself for me so that will make a difference as well for me."

Now PC Paul Jones, who received the report of the theft, has taken pity on Mr Stucke and arranged for a replacement to be donated to him from Hampshire Police's lost property.

He said: "I just felt sorry for Mr Stucke and wanted to help him as much as I could.

"I think someone just saw his bike and thought it would be fun to take it."