ROAD RACER Elliot Burgess's dreams of making a full-scale assault on the British Supersport Motorcycle Championship have been wrecked by thieves.

They made off with both his team's Yamaha R6 race bikes which were being stored at the Slipstream Tuning Team shop at Tunbridge in Kent. What was worse, they did it in broad daylight.

Burgess from Alresford said: "I have been working for seven years to get into a position where I could race in a major British championship with good equipment, and having got it, I've now lost it. I'm totally devastated.

"We had two bikes, race kits, race suspension, bodywork, exhaust systems, race wheels and much more, and now if I'm going to carry on, I'll have to buy it all over again at around £18,000,

"With testing booked for February and race kits not available for the next month, it is going to be hard to get back on my feet."

It's a sickening blow to the former British Superbike starlet who spent most of last summer on the sidelines after shattering his elbow in a race accident which cost him two months off work and the chance to raise much-needed funds for his racing.

Burgess showed rich promise as a road racer when he finished runner-up in the European SuperMono Championship for the Slipstream marque three years ago. Last season he was the early leader in the British SuperMono Series before he concertrated on establishing a foothold in the more prestigious 600cc SuperSport Championship.

Then came his accident and a long enforced lay-off.

He said: "It has taken us a year and a half to put this latest package together and to generate the sponsorship we needed. I have been on the radio with details, and have offered a reward of £1,000 to anyone with any information leading to the return of the bikes.

"If anyone can help, my life depends on it! I need the bikes back. Any one who can help will get £1,000 reward, free track days and tickets to the BSB."

If you can help contact Elliot Burgess on 0796 20 30 44 or Martin Sweet on 01732 832 044.

The specificiation of the stolen bikes is: Two Yamaha R6's. Frame Numbers Bike 1 (JYARJ02000001407). Colour Metalic Blue. Acrapovic race exhaust. Ohlins Rear shock. EB initials on forks, wheels, engine parts. Detachable seat pad. Tinted screen. No Engine Number stamped. (Race Bike Only )

Frame Numbers Bike 2 (JYARJ031000022929). Colour Metalic Blue. Purple Hyperpro Rear shock. Standard-looking exhaust. EB initials on forks, wheels, engine parts. Detachable seat pad. Clear screen.