A TEENAGER has been ordered to pay almost £500 after he was caught handling a mountain bike worth £3,500 that was stolen from South Lakeland.

Mohammed Kesser, 18, of Petre Crescent, Blackburn, admitted receiving stolen goods at South Lakeland Magistrates Court this week.

The Cannondale Jekyll bike, which cost £3,500 when bought in 2002, was padlocked to a tree at the Fallbarrow holiday park, Bowness, when it was stolen on May 23, the court heard.

Police officers saw Kesser with the bike in a van he was driving in the area, however they left him alone when he told them it was his.

After the bike was reported stolen, officers were able to trace Kesser, however he told them he had been paid £200 to take a man he met in a pub, called Gee, to the Lake District to pick up his bicycle, the court heard.

Kesser, who is unemployed and has lived in care all his life, said he had no idea the bicycle was stolen. He said Gee had gone away and returned with the bicycle and then told him he was going to a party and would see him later.

Gareth Price, mitigating, said: “He is a young man who has closed his eyes to the obvious. He said that this Gee asked him for a lift to Windermere and paid him £200. Seeing the chance of some easy cash he said yes. As the evening developed things became more and more suspicious but he didn’t know about the taking of the bicycle, he was used by someone who will escape justice,” he said.

Kesser said he found Gee again in Blackburn and gave him the bike, the court heard.

Magistrates ordered Kesser to pay a £70 fine, £350 compensation for the unrecovered bike, £60 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.