A MUM claims she was in tears when she had to tell her son he could not have his dream birthday bike because it did not come up to scratch.

The bright gold and red Saxon bike, ordered in August, was chosen by Jonathan Pereira as a present for his 10th birthday.

But when his father David went to collect the bike from Star Cycles in Worcester, the night before Jonathan's birthday, he was disgusted at the state of the intended gift.

It had three scratches on it.

"Jonathan had some money for his birthday but no presents because we couldn't afford lots of little presents as well as a £185 bike," said Christine Pereira, Jonathan's mother.

"We went out to choose another bike on his birthday but it's not the same as waking up in the morning and seeing the present there.

"I had a cry about it.

"I had to explain to him that he would not be getting the bike for his birthday, and he also had a cry."

Jonathan, a pupil at Somers Park School, Malvern, said he was "very disappointed."

Caught my eye

"It caught my eye straight away when I chose it," he said.

When Mr Pereira collected the bike on Friday, November 23, from the shop in Pump Street, there were two scratches down the back arm of the model and one down the front of the main frame.

"My husband rang me," said Mrs Pereira, who lives in Upper Howsell Road, Malvern Link.

"Apparently the shop assistant had said Jonathan wouldn't notice the scratches.

"I said a scratched bike would look second hand, and the man said he would knock some money off.

"I expected it to be boxed up and spanking new with no marks.

"I believe that bike was the demonstration one taken off the shop floor."

Dave Newsome, a partner at Star Cycles said the bike was ordered and assembled to conform to British standards.

"The bike wasn't the one on show," he said.

"It got scratched in our warehouse.

"It wasn't noticed until five o clock on the day that Mr Pereira came to collect it and there was no time to do anything.

"Most children would be glad to receive the bike and would not notice fairly minor scratches.

"It was most unfortunate and there was nothing else we could do."