By Bernie Legge, Cycling Correspondent

A middle-aged man who was given a new bicycle for Christmas has been playing on it so much that he has not yet come in for his tea.

Excited Steve Walshe, 46, has been riding up and down his road in Woodbridge, Suffolk while proclaiming it was “the best Christmas ever”.

His long-suffering partner Lorraine Fisher, 34, bought him the bike after he pestered her all year for a new toy.

And Steve insisted he got all the gear to go with his slick speed machine, and now wears lycra shorts, top and a funny-looking helmet.

Sometimes he even wears them in bed.

Lorraine said: “He couldn’t wait to take the bike out on the road. I told him to be careful of the traffic, and to come in as soon as it got dark.

“But he was having so much fun he just kept going up and down the road for hours on end.

“The bike has 16 gears but he only seems to be using one of them – I expect he’ll get used to it soon.”

Lorraine said BT worker Steve had missed his tea repeatedly because he is playing on his bike so much.

“He’s having fun, so that’s the main thing,” she said.

“I suppose it’s quite harmless, but the neighbours have remarked he is a little old to be playing outside for so long on his own.”

Steve was unable to comment as he was busy attaching a bit of cardboard to his back wheel with a clothes peg so his bicycle would sound like a motorbike.

Stay in the warm with a mug

You don’t need to go out in the cold, stay in with a hot tea or coffee in one of the terrific mugs from our pottery partner Dirty Old Goat. All mugs come with free UK delivery.