World champ gives police officers jersey for finding his phone at Tour de Yorkshire

Three-time track world champion Morgan Kneisky has presented officers from Cleveland Police with his Team Raleigh jersey to thank them for finding his mobile phone, which he lost before the start of yesterday's third and final stage from Middlesbrough to Scarborough. The jersey has been given to one of the officers' nephews, who is learning to ride a bike again after recently losing the sight in one eye.

Officers found the phone in Middlesbrough's Centre Square. Answering an incoming call, PCSO Mark Ballinger and PC Chris Swales were surprised to learn it belonged to one of the riders setting out on the stage.

PCSO Ballinger told Gazzettelive.co.uk: “I came across the phone and when PC Swales answered the call and we realised who it belonged to, it was a shock to us both.

“Morgan was very grateful to us for returning his phone and he presented us with his jersey as a token of thanks.

“I was really surprised by it, he didn’t need to do that. We were just doing our jobs, but it was very kind of him and the jersey will make a great gift for my nephew who is a big cycling fan.”

PCSO Ballinger tweeted a of he and PC Swales with the jersey.

@KneiskyMorgan Hey Morgan,thanks for the shirt today, glad u have ur fone safe! Wish I'd asked u to sign shirt pic.twitter.com/4CLU79kzn4

— Mark Ballinger (@Sparky71a) May 1, 2016

In a subsequent tweet, he revealed his nephew is now learning to ride a bike again after losing the sight in one eye in an accident.

@KneiskyMorgan Hey no problems glad to help,he's learning to ride again now with one eye, and he will wear the Jersey with pride!

— Mark Ballinger (@Sparky71a) May 1, 2016

Kneisky, aged 28, joined Team Raleigh in 2014. He was world champion in the scratch race in 2009 and in the Madison in 2013 and 2015, partnered respectively by Vivien Brisse and Bryan Coquard.