A SOLDIER who had his motorbike stolen while he was in Iraq has hit out at police.

Pte James Cheesman, 21, returned from Basra - where he is serving with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment - last week, only to be told by his m other, Catherine Walter, 45, that his beloved off-road bike had been snatched.

The day after the bike was stolen from the garage in Langdale Drive, Dalton, on November 7, Mrs Walter spoke to some of her neighbours.

Several said they had seen a bike being loaded into a van on the night of the break-in.

Mrs Walter, a solicitor, immediately rang the police to tell them about the witnesses. She was assured something would be done. But it was not until this month that an officer came to interview the witnesses.

Mrs Walter said: "I rang the police and then waited for someone to come and have a look at the scene of the crime. But nobody ever did.

"We kept on waiting - up to the point where I was so annoyed I wrote a letter to complain.

"I got a reply saying things were still under investigation. I waited again and wrote another letter."

In January, police officers had to visit the home on an unrelated matter.

The stolen bike was mentioned and officers said they would look in to it. They knew nothing about the witnesses.

Finally the neighbours were interviewed - more than three months after the crime.

Pte Cheesman, who returns to Iraq next Tuesday, said he was shocked the witnesses were not interviewed straight after police had been told.

"I am very angry about this because something should have been done as soon as the police knew," he said.

"Their investigation has not been good enough. The bike was not insured because it was an off-road bike and I was in Iraq. So I have lost everything."

Chief Insp David Pighills, of Huddersfield police, said: "There appears to have been a lack of communication.

"Officers have spoken to the complainant, they have also conducted house-to- house inquiries and spoken to witnesses who saw the bike being taken.

"But unfortunately detailed descriptions could not be obtained.

"We are sorry that Mrs Walter feels she has not received the quality of service she expected.

"However, the case is being looked into."