My stepson Reece had his bike stolen from outside the village library.

We hunted high and low in places I thought it might likely be. We had an extremely helpful, supportive and proactive representative in the shape of a police community support officer who came out to us.

And a number of fellow villagers kept an eye out for us – particular thanks go out to the staff of Turner’s General Store and those of Glemsford library. We resigned ourselves to the fact that the bike was probably gone for good and started the process of making the insurance claim.

Fast forward four days and there is a knock on the door.

Standing on my doorstep is a group of girls who make up the general fraternity of teenagers to be seen passing their evenings outside the village hall.

They had not only found Reece’s bike but had dragged it out of the ditch at the bottom of the playing field where it had been dumped by the thief.

I am writing to publicly thank the girls and also to remind some of your more curmudgeonly readers that yes, sometimes, teenagers can be pretty awful, but that the vast majority are a pretty great bunch of people and I’m sure a great asset to the future of their community.

NEIL PORTER

Elm Grove

Glemsford