A Bristol cyclist has "stolen" her bike from a thief who advertised it for sale on Facebook.

Jenni Morton-Humphreys, 30, turned the tables on the thief with an ingenious sting, even though she was advised against doing so by the police.

Ms Morton-Humphreys had appealed for help by posting a picture of the stolen bike on Facebook and appealing for help.

A fellow cyclist scoured Facebook's for sale pages and found the same bike on display.

Jenni Morton-Humphreys bike credit: Facebook

The good samaritan and Ms Morton-Humphreys devised a cunning plan, which entailed offering to buy the bike from the unsuspecting vendor.

Having found the bike she asked the police to accompany her on the mission and arrest the culprit - but the invitation was declined.

Undeterred she and a friend approached the vendor and arranged a meeting.

“I pretended to be interested and asked silly questions about the bike,” she said. “I said the saddle was too high, and asked if I could get on it to test it out," she told the Bristol Post.

“I made sure I had nothing on me, no possessions at all apart from the stuff in my hands – and they were a cigarette packet and a set of keys. I handed them to this guy as I got on the bike and said ‘here, hold my stuff’.

She then asked for a test ride. The seller agreed and Ms Morton-Humphreys pedalled away furiously.

To add to her joy, the bike had been smartened up ahead of the sale with even the front light being fixed.