A BUSINESS owner has had his motorbike stolen - a week after he bought it.

Simon Corless, had only bought his Honda CB 650F motorbike eight days before it was put into the back of a white van outside his work on Friday.

The 46-year-old said the bike, worth around £4,500, was taken outside Pulse Digital Office Solutions in Cloughfold, at around 4.45pm, only an hour and 15 minutes after he had left it there.

CCTV footage showed a white van park up in front of the yellow bike, before three men jump out.

The men pick up the bike and struggle to lift it into the back of the van, before driving away in a matter of seconds.

The dad-of-two said he was really disappointed when he found out the bike had gone.

He said: "Someone from inside my work shouted to me after the van had driven off and we ran outside.

"We must have missed it by a couple of seconds.

"It was so blasé, there were people in the car park that didn't realise what had happened and thought the van had parked up for one of the other business.

"I had only had the bike little over a week, I had passed my test on the Thursday, the following Friday it had gone.

"I was very angry and sad, its worrying someone just came in and picked it up.

"One of the lads who had seen the van drive away in the car park drove off to follow it but couldn't find it."

Mr Corless, who has owned the business for seven years, said he had always been into motorbikes and had previously driven a classic scooter.

More than 700 people had shared the CCTV footage on social media in a bid to find it again.

He said: "I was excited to take it out this weekend with the weather looking to be nice.

"But now its gone, the CCTV showed the van had come into the car park, supposedly checking the place out, before coming back and taking the bike.

"I'm hoping they were opportunists and had not been following me.

"We checked the licence plate on the van and the police said it had been cloned.

"I do believe everything happens for a reason, maybe I wasn't destined to own a bike?

"I'm hoping I am destined and I get the bike back. it would be amazing if I could."

Lancashire Police were contacted regarding the theft.

UPDATE: The bike was recovered by Greater Manchester Police at an address in Bolton.