A motorbike enthusiast was left devastated after a group of children pushed over his Harley Davidson bike causing £600 worth of damage and stole the keys.

Ian Maggs has had to cancel a visit to the Kent Family Yard party in Hoo on the Isle of Grain this weekend and an appearance at The Drive and Jive show in Whitstable last weekend after the children got onto his property and damaged his bike.

Ian, of Cowper Road, Sittingbourne, who last month won a trophy at one of the shows, has only had the bike for six months.

“It was my pride and joy,” he said.

The 58-year-old says he has CCTV footage of the group of youngsters, who he thinks were between 10 and 12 years old.

He said: “ I chased the kids after finding them in my garden. They left their shoes on the pavement right outside my house.

“They also put a chair up against my window and were clearly planning to try and get in.”

Ian claims the group of three boys also stole his gate keys and other padlock keys, as he had just got in and had not locked up.

“I chased them but they told people I was chasing them with a knife, so they called the police,” he explained.

“I had no intention of getting the police involved. I wanted to contact the parents and try and sort something out with them as there was approximately £600 damage to the bike.”

He added: “The bike has been taken away for repairs as it has internal carb damage and it won’t start. There is also damage to the foot peg as the bolt has snapped inside.

“It is really gutting as I was supposed to be entering it into a show the weekend just gone and this weekend coming, but now I don’t think it will be ready.”

A police spokesman said: “Kent Police was called at 8.15pm on 26 August, to an allegation of criminal damage in Cowper Road, Sittingbourne, where it is alleged several people entered an area outside a residential property and pushed over a motorcycle.

"An investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should contact Kent Police on 01795 419119, quoting crime reference 46/153874/23.”