A DISABLED woman is appealing for help in finding her mobility scooter after it was stolen from the boot of her car in the early hours of the morning.

Vivienne Cole has described the two young men who broke into her vehicle in South View and took the scooter as “cruel” after she watched them on a neighbour’s CCTV camera taking it away.

Watch the footage below, which has been split into two videos. 

The mother-of-three saved up to buy the £1,499 scooter to help her get about as she suffers from emphysema and a neurological disease, which means she struggles to walk very far because of shortness of breath.

She relies on supplemental oxygen to breath.

The 49-year-old said: “I don’t have upper body strength to use a wheelchair and I’m on oxygen all the time. I saved for a year to get that scooter.”

She added: “It means everything to me. If I go to hospital I go to the Royal Brompton which is for people with lung and heart problems and I can be there for 10 days. My family can’t be there every day so the scooter is my only way of getting about in hospital.”

The CCTV footage shows the men breaking into her car in Deanes Close at around 4.30am this morning and pushing the scooter away.

 

It is thought a vehicle may have then been used to transport the scooter. Mrs Cole has been told by her insurance company that it will only pay £100 towards the cost of a new scooter.

She said the two men who broke into her Jeep were around 19 or 20-years-old and were both wearing coats.

She added: “It’s despicable and cruel. I can’t understand why they would do it. It’s not of any use to anyone else. It’s only of use to someone who can’t get about.”

Mrs Cole has reported the incident to the police but said no one has come out to see her yet. 

Anyone with information should call the police on 101.