POLICE told a disabled man to carry out his own investigations after thieves broke into a wheelchair-accessible vehicle and stole a catalytic converter.

Hereford couple Brendon Feeley and Erica Henes said they were “disgusted” with how the situation was handled.

Despite the thieves causing around £4,500 worth of damage, stripping out the catalytic converter and exhaust system, West Mercia Police said it is standard practice to handle this kind of crime over the phone.

“It was heartbreaking,” said Ms Hemes, who added that the couple are saving for their wedding.

“I couldn’t believe someone would do that – not just to a van, but a van with (disabled) stickers on. It’s going below and beyond.”

The Mercedes Sprinter had been adapted for Mr Feeley – a former Bishop of Hereford Bluecoat sports star who suffered an injury diving into the River Lugg – and was marked with parking stickers, clearly showing that the user had a disability.

Last Friday morning Mr Feeley went to start his van, parked on Ferndale Road in King's Acre, before going to work in Cheltenham, but it sounded “like a tractor”.

After a mechanic confirmed that he had been robbed, Mr Feeley, 29, called the police to report the incident.

Their response, Ms Hemes claimed, was to suggest a bit of DIY police work.

She said: “They asked us to do our own door-to-door inquiries.

“They said they wouldn’t send anyone out to do it, and if we didn’t the case would be closed.”

A police spokesman said that officers will only attend crimes if there is forensic evidence.

West Mercia’s Sophie Flynn said: “Telephone investigators within the crime bureau have been trained to ask exactly the same questions that a police officer would ask if they had attended the crime scene.”

She added that if a victim tells them they have a disability, it will be taken into consideration when deciding whether to send an officer out to the scene.

There has been a run of similar offences locally, with the Mr Feeley’s van one of three vehicles currently being repaired by Fix Auto Hereford having been stripped of their catalytic converters.

The converters contain several precious metals and fetch up to £1,000.

However West Mercia has not linked this heartless theft with any others in the area.

Witnesses to the thefts can call the police on 101.