HEARTBROKEN schoolboy Reece Faulkner got an early birthday present when a toy shop replaced his stolen scooter.

Reece was on a ride at the Dorset County Show when the beloved £59 scooter that he saved all his pocket money up for was taken.

Reece, who attends Dorchester Middle School, has been down in the dumps ever since and would not take his bike out for fear of that being stolen too.

But after seeing his story in the Echo last week, Matthew Moore, from Dor-chester Toymaster, said they wanted to give him a new one.

And Reece, who is 13 tomorrow was overjoyed when Matthew gave him a choice of all their scooters and he chose a JD Bug Scooter, just like his old one.

He said: “I’m very happy now. We went into the shop and he showed me all their scooters and asked me which one I wanted. I chose the one that’s the same make as my old one but a little bit different.”

Reece save his pocket money for 10 weeks to buy his last scooter.

It was stolen when he put it down next to a ride in the fairground area of the showground at the Dorset County Show.

Reece added: “This has cheered me up now and I’m happy that I got it and very grateful so I want to say thanks.”

As Reece was picking up his new scooter the Echo received a call from a reader who also wanted to buy him a new one and Alan Old, from Olds Garage in Portesham, also wanted to buy him one.

His mum Carole Faulkner, 49, from Louise Road, Dorchester, said Reece was shocked to hear that people were willing to help.

She added: “He’s very happy now. It restores your faith in people. We’ll get a marker pen and put his name on it.”

Matthew, the store manager at Dorchester Toymaster in South Street, said they wanted to help after seeing what had happened at the show.

He said: “We saw it in the Echo and felt quite bad for the lad. It’s not nice.

“Especially when he saved up his pocket money for it. He put it down in good faith and we wanted to show him the world’s not as nasty and mean a place as it can seem.”