A motorcycle enthusiast is warning fellow riders to be on their guard against a serial thief who stole his £3,000 machine.

Edward Knight's Dominator NX650 was taken for a test ride and never returned.

And the thief left behind a Suzuki bike that had been stolen in similar circumstances two weeks before.

Mr Knight, a tax inspector, hopes his bike will turn up.

He said: "I have only had the bike for about a year and it was in a good condition.

"I advertised it was for sale and this man came along to take a look at it. He arrived on a Suzuki, which was worth a lot more than my bike.

"He spent a good 15 minutes checking it and asking all the right questions before asking to take it for a ride.

"I didn't worry. He was leaving what I thought was his own bike behind. But after 20 minutes I started to panic.

"I called the police and they checked the registration of the Suzuki and found it was false.

"I checked the tax disc and it showed it had also been stolen on a test drive.

"It seems this guy took the bike from a person in Ferring, used it for a couple of weeks and then swapped it."

Mr Knight, 38, from Peacehaven, has been riding and selling motorbikes for 20 years and hopes the theft will be covered by his insurance.

He said: "I'm really angry. I am a careful person and I don't believe I am easily conned. The guy seemed perfectly legitimate.

"I want to warn people to be very careful if they are advertising a bike."

The thief was wearing a black leather jacket and trousers. He had short, black hair, was in his early 30s and well spoken.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to call 0845 6070999.