A young musician touring Britain on a one-of-a-kind piano bike has been left heartbroken after her van was stolen.
Chloe Marie Aston had already visited 200 towns with her eye-catching instrument and had hoped to complete the remaining 1,000 over the next two years.
But the 21-year-old’s tour has now been thrown into chaos after her vital transport was taken.
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Chloe was performing in Tamworth, Staffordshire, on Saturday (11 Oct) when her white Ford Transit van was swiped from the Spinning School Lane car park.
She believes someone may have cloned a key to gain access.
Along with her dad Lee, she had driven to each town in the van before cycling to her performance spots.
Lee, who sold his home to support Chloe’s UK tour, also built the piano bike because her fingers used to hurt when busking on guitar, as reported by Need To Know.
The custom-built bike comes with a mixer, amplifier and headset, making it a portable musical powerhouse.
Now Chloe, from Ilfracombe, Devon, is even considering quitting music altogether.
“I am absolutely devastated,” she said.
“It’s really shocking.
“All my costumes, spares for the piano bike and so much more were in our van when it was stolen.
“I also feel terrible for my dad, all he does is try to help me and now he has no transport.
“I’m not sure what my plans are for the future, I honestly feel like giving up with singing.
“I try and bring something nice to towns and this happens. I feel gutted.
“Our whole life was in there. We’ve been on the road since June.
“Now it’s all gone and I don’t feel hopeful it will come back.
“My dad and I did so much to that van so we could use it for the tour.
“We added side windows which they normally don’t have.
“And now we won’t see it again. It’s really sad.”
A fundraising page set up to replace the stolen gear had a £2,500 target but has already raised over £8,800.
Thankfully, Chloe’s piano bike remains safe.
Chloe, currently staying in Derby, said someone from North Devon would be collecting her piano.
She added: “I just want to get home now and recover and rethink.
“And hopefully come up with a plan to continue.”
A spokesperson for Staffordshire Police confirmed: “We were called at 1pm on Saturday (11 Oct) to Spinning School Lane in Tamworth following reports of theft.
“A white Ford Transit van was stolen without keys off a car park.
“Officers are conducting inquiries locally and urge anyone with information or relevant CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage to get in touch. Contact us on 101 quoting incident number 365 of 11 October.”
Before the theft, Chloe said she never tires of performing across the UK.
She said: “It was originally built just to be used in Ilfracombe but I got more and more bookings from further away.
“It’s taken us all over the UK.”
Although she calls it a bike, it is actually a trike with three wheels for stability.
The piano is mounted over the front two wheels, with Chloe seated over the rear wheel.
She has performed in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, London and along the south coast, including the Isle of Wight.
The 21-year-old said: “It’s exciting.
“I get to meet amazing people and get to see so many beautiful places.
“Someone told me there are about 1,200 towns and cities in the UK, and so there’s still a way to go.
“It’s been really fun, it’s an adventure.
“Dad takes me to all the towns and does the social media and all sorts of other things.”
Chloe’s passion for music began at just six years old, having taken part in numerous music groups and theatre performances.
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