A St George’s Hospital worker said she felt ‘crushed’ after thieves stole her bike just weeks before she will take part in a charity cycle ride in honour of her mother's fight with breast cancer.

Hayley Mitchell, 28, told the Sutton Guardian she ‘cried her eyes out’ after thugs stole her securely-locked bike outside the hospital’s Atkinson Morely Wing on Friday, May 19.

The vascular surgery department manager, from north Sutton, was set to ride the personalised bike in the Pink Ribbon Tour on Sunday, June 11, and raise money for support charity Breast Cancer Care.

Miss Mitchell aims to raise £1,000 ahead of the 25,000-metre event in central London in honour of her mum, Anne Kasey, who suffered from breast cancer before she underwent two radiotherapy sessions at the Royal Marsden two years ago.

Speaking about her 60-year-old mother, also from Sutton, Miss Mitchell said: “My mum and I are best friends. She’s amazing and I couldn’t imagine life without her.

“It was heart-breaking and I was so frightened for her and I was so frightened for her. Being a nurse herself, she took it in her strike and stuck it out, which was a real inspiration for me.

“I wanted to give something back to the amazing people who work tirelessly to find new ways of treating breast cancer, and provide comfort and support to those fighting it, in honour of my mum, and her fight.”

She then pleaded with the thieves who stole her bike ‘Haze’ to return it ahead of next month’s event.

Miss Mitchell said: “She (Haze) means the world to me. I’m sure it feels like a faceless crime, and it’s easy not to think of the victims.

“But for people like me, who have saved and use it every day, it’s crushing.”

Following the theft Pearson Cycle Specialists in Sutton High Street, where Miss Mitchell bought the Neko WSD, said it would lend the fundraiser a bike for the event.

Pete Campbell, the retail operations manager, said: “She was so happy when she got the bike and when it was taken she was devastated, because it was a one of a kind – it had been personalised with her name.

“We’ll give her the bike a few days ahead of the event so she can get used to it and we wish her the best of luck.”

To view Hayley’s JustGiving page visit the link here.