Shop sells customer's bike

Ms Harris had left her bike in the store

A charity has offered to replace a customer's bike after its shop staff sold it by mistake.

Circus performer Emily Harris took her bike into the British Heart Foundation's charity shop in Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, because she was worried that it might be stolen if left outside.

But while she tried on some clothes, a shop assistant sold the £1,200 Centurion bike to a male customer by mistake, for £10.

My knees turned to jelly and I fell down. I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. I was hysterical

Emily Harris

Ms Harris had gone to try on clothes in a dressing room and when she was informed that the bike had just been sold she ran out into the street to catch up with the buyer but he had gone.

The 25-year-old circus fire eater, from rural Alaska, said: "My knees turned to jelly and I fell down. I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. I was hysterical.

"The bike's my entire way of life. If he doesn't give it back the karmic ramifications could be terrible. I don't deserve this, I haven't been bad."

Jean Prentice, who sold the bike on 15 June, said: "It was a busy Saturday and donations get continually left in the shop, so when this man asked how much the bike was, I said £10.

"We didn't know it belonged to a lady who was in the changing room. She was in a dreadful state.

"But she should have alerted us before she went in."

The charity later said that it would replace Ms Harris's bike.

Ms Harris, who has been touring Scotland with circus troupe Circo Rivo said she covered the cycle frame with black masking tape so that potential thieves would not realise its value.