A THIEF posing as a supermarket manager stole a seven-year-old boy's new Christmas bike.

It was the first time Oliver Griffin had been allowed to go out on his new bike when he rode to Morrison's in Kingsway - five minutes from his home in Houghton Close.

But when he arrived at the supermarket he was approached by a man who told him that he was the store manager and would look after his bike while he went inside to buy a DVD.

But when the youngster returned his bike had been snatched and the man was nowhere to be seen.

Mum Tracey Griffin had been saving for the bike, which her son had wanted for two years, since June,

She hoped the present would make it an extra special Christmas for Oliver who underwent an operation just days earlier.

Mrs Griffin said: "Oliver was in hospital on 18 December for an operation.  I got him the bike as his Christmas present because he'd wanted one for two years and I previously hadn't been able to afford it because I've got four children. I've been putting money away weekly for six months. I finally let him go out on new year's eve. But he still had his stitches in so I told him to just be half an hour. And Oliver being Oliver went straight to Morrison's to buy a DVD. This person posing as the manager told him he would look after his bike, but when he returned he was gone. He went to the customer service desk and the manager of Morrison's called me to let me know what happened. They said they have got the thief on CCTV.  The staff were absolutely shocked, but they said at this time of year that's what they would expect.  His eyes lit up when he saw his bike on Christmas day - he was so excited. Now he's absolutely devastated - he keeps saying mummy can you get me a new one. If a person can steal from a child, who else could he steal from? I can't replace the bike at the moment - I just haven't got another £100. It's so unfortunate last Christmas our house was broken into and all the children's Christmas presents were stolen."

The bike is a BMX Krave Vert with a white frame and grey and black handlebars. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 872 5050.