THIEVES stole a Land Rover that was being used to support a charity bike ride in memory of a tragic baby girl who died in a hospice.

Michael 'Spike' Follett, John Rogers and Martin Bentham, from Blagdon in Cornwall, were cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats via Bolton to help raise money for Children's Hospice South West, where little Tessa Moore was cared for before her death in March 2014.

The men, known as The Blagdon Three, set off on May 14 with their support team driver Richard Alexander and stayed at the Mercury Hotel in Manchester Road, Westhoughton, on Tuesday night, parking their maroon coloured Land Rover Defender in the car park.

But when they left the hotel on Thursday morning at 6.45am, the vehicle was gone.

Mr Follett, aged 53, said: "We're really gutted. It's not just the Land Rover — we also had a spare bike, tools, sleeping bags and waterproofs in the back too."

After hearing of their loss on a local radio station, Bolton Lads and Girls Club came to the rescue by loaning the party a transit van for the rest of their journey.

Mr Follett said: "We are so grateful to the club for being so generous in giving us their van. It puts your faith back in humanity when people are so kind.

"We are raising money for a little girl close to our hearts where we live. She was only 45 days old when she died, so thanks to them we can carry on with the ride.

"Other people in our village have already raised £20,000 towards Children's Hospice South West, where she was cared for, and we are doing this because we want to contribute to a fantastic cause."

The team were contacted after club chief executive Karen Edwards heard about the incident on the radio on her way to work.

Mrs Edwards said: "As a charity ourselves we organise and have supporters doing similar challenges to raise funds for us and I'd like to think if we were in the same position someone would offer us similar support.

"We're delighted to be able to lend our vehicle and wish the team well on the rest of their challenge."

The Land Rover 110 TDI Defender had a distinctive large tow bar on the back, with the registration number L101 XAD.

A police spokesman said: "We received a call at 6.45am on Thursday to a report the theft of a Land Rover Discovery. The investigation is ongoing."

Anyone with any information can call police on 101.

To donate, visit chsw.org.uk/BlagdonThreeLEJOG.