TEENAGER Vlad Creanga is desperately trying to track down the £1,000 electric bike he built with his dad after it was stolen by thieves.

The 18-year-old and his father Marius made the bike from scratch over three months last year, complete with indicators, a speedometer and headlights.

But thieves pinched the bike when Vlad went to visit a friend’s house on Montgomery Avenue on November 26, between 7.30pm and 8.30pm.

Vlad, who lives on Ferndale Road, said: “The bike means a lot to both me and my dad. It was the first bike we made together.

“For me, it was a chance to have a father-son bonding project and for him it was very important for him to be able to give me a gift like that because growing up he didn’t have much.”

Vlad added: “It’s the reason I decided to start riding bikes, and I’m never going to forget it. Even if we don’t find it ever again, I’m going to keep talking about it for the rest of my life. It really is special. “

Vlad parked the bike outside his friend’s house and locked the back wheel with a D-lock, though not to anything else.

“The bike is very heavy so I assumed someone wouldn’t be able to pick it up. I went for a walk for 15 mins and then it was gone,” he said.

“Initially I just felt disbelief. I’ve never had anything stolen before and it makes you feel powerless,” Vlad said.

Since the bike was taken Vlad has been out every day looking for it and putting up posters asking for any information about it.

“My dad is an electrician by profession and it’s always been a dream of his to build something from scratch. Building a car is a bit more difficult.

"But he new there was nothing like this out there like it."

Vlad attends United College sixth form and is a keen biker in his spare time, frequently going on long rides around Wiltshire.

“I know it’s cliché, but it’s the freedom,” said Vlad. “Being outdoors, being there. When you’re in a car, it’s like you’re in a metal cage, but with a bike you’re really there. It’s like you’re feeling everything. It’s more of a challenge to bike. You feel you deserve that experience.”

He added: “With the stolen bike, it’s electric so the battery life is a lot shorter and you can’t really go on long trips. But I don’t think there’s a street in the main Swindon area that I haven’t been on with the bike.”

“I hope whoever has taken it enjoyed it and I hope they at least respected it for what it was. Come pick the charger up as well because the battery is probably flat,” he said.

Anyone with information should call 101