A HEATON woman was left fuming after a quad bike she was selling was stolen by the prospective buyer.

Jessica Kay had arranged on Facebook to exchange her bike for another, with her buyer agreeing to pay an extra £100 on top.

The sale was due to be completed at Miss Kay's friend's house in Settle Street, Great Lever, where the green bike was being kept.

She was stunned, though, when four men turned up at the address unannounced, threatening her friend, who was five months pregnant, and stole the bike.

The police confirmed that a complaint was made to them, but said there was not enough evidence to pursue an investigation.

Miss Kay said: "He was supposed to meet me at my house but did not.

"Instead he went to the property where my friend was, who was five months pregnant and very vulnerable.

"He just turned up with some other men and took the bike and threatened my friend."

The bike, which Miss Kay said is worth between £450 and £500, was stolen between 7.15pm and 8.15pm on January 13, and she reported the matter to the police on the same day, before visiting the station to make a formal statement.

A few weeks on, however, she was told that the police investigation had stopped, even though she gave them details of the buyer and where she thought he was from.

Miss Kay, who lives in Ernest Street, Heaton, added: "They refused to recover it, and it just seems that they think it's okay for people just to turn up and steal things.

"They did not seem bothered that my friend was intimidated while she was five months pregnant.

"When I chased them, they said because he had not heard from me, he thought I was happy with the outcome which is rubbish.

"It is very unsatisfactory. It just seems easy for them to say 'it's a civil matter, argue it out amongst yourselves'."

The man had approached Miss Kay on Facebook, suggesting the deal, and she desperately tried to get in touch with him after her friend had told her of her travails.

Miss Kay said that he had quickly blocked his number and deleted the Facebook account used to broker the deal.

A police spokesman said: "The file has been closed as there was not enough evidence to link it to an offender.

"If anyone has got any information please contact the police on 101."