Good samaritan who returned stolen bike to its owner gets offers from US chat show
A man who returned an expensive stolen bike to its rightful home after buying it from thieves has been invited onto two world-famous chat shows - in America.
The 26-year-old was approached by three "rough-looking" men as he parked his car to go to the gym. They offered him the expensive-looking £1,250 bike for sale.
Spotting the lock still on the cycle, the Liverpool fan immediately twigged it was stolen, and bought it for £80 with the sole intention of tracking down the owner.
And after publicising the stolen bike on Twitter, the power of social media helped to locate the owner, whose house in Knotty Ash had been ransacked last month.
Ste's story went viral, and attracted congratulations from Stomrzy and Royle Family actor Ralf Little. Now, he has attracted interest from America - so much so that TV chat show presenter Nick Cannon rang up Ste out of the blue. They hit it off straight away, and Cannon recorded it and played it to his audience on his US show.
Fellow talk show host and pop star Kelly Clarkson, winner of first American Idol, had the same idea and contacted Ste on social media. The singer also wanted the social worker, who looks after vulnerable adults, to go her show, but so far he is still mulling over that offer.
Ste said: "It's gone mad, crazy! For all this to happen for such a small thing I did, I can't believe it."When I was in Tesco on Picton Road, I went to get a copy of the Echo to give to my nan, and the woman behind the desk recognised me, and said: "You're in this, you know!"The bike thieves brazenly boasted to Ste they had stolen the bike from a shed in Crosby. Days later, upon returning the wheels to Knotty Ash, the happy owner was so surprised he hugged Ste and was almost on the verge of tears.
Ste even waved away his requests to return his £80.
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