A DISABLED Kidderminster woman and her mum have been left distraught after heartless crooks stole their mobility chairs before dumping them in a canal.

Alison Horton was visiting her 71-year-old mum Jennifer at her flat in Freda Eddy Court in Orchard Street, Kidderminster, on June 17 when the theft of the Invacare motor chairs happened.

But their misery was compounded when a friend spotted the two chairs, which cost thousands of pounds to buy brand new, had been dumped in a stretch of canal near Park Lane.

The chairs, which had been parked in the porch of the apartment block, were fitted with immobilisers but the offenders managed to override them.

Alison, who is paralysed on her right side and has undergone neurosurgery leaving her with no bone in the left side of her head, has hired a replacement chair while her mum, who has polio, has a spare.

Alison, who is 41, said: “When I realised they had gone, I just could not believe it. Whoever did this is scum. By dumping them in the canal, the chairs are totally ruined.

“Luckily, my mum has a spare chair and I’ve been able to hire another one. But without these chairs we would be housebound and we are now worried in case anything happens with the chairs we have got.

“We both use them for getting out and about and they are our lifeline really. So for someone to do this to us is devastating.”

Police in Kidderminster are investigating the incident, which happened between 12.17pm on June 17 and midnight, and have issued an appeal for witnesses.

Anyone with any information is asked to call 101 and quote incident number 2685180615.