POLICE are hunting thieves who smashed into a shed behind sheltered housing flats in Bradford and stole prized mobility scooters belonging to two elderly friends.

The scooters, belonging to pensioners Winnie Aldrich and Ken Brown, were taken from an address in Idle Road, near Five Lane Ends, overnight between Monday and Tuesday.

One scooter was found by police in bushes in the Swain House area of Bradford yesterday and returned to Mr Brown, 83, who lives at a bungalow in West Bowling but stores his scooter in the shed.

The Go-Go Elite Travellers scooter had suffered damage to its electrics, and it is not known if it can be repaired. The Rio 4 Mobility Scooter belonging to Mrs Aldrich is still missing.

The pair bought the vehicles for a combined total of more than £1,000.

Mrs Aldrich said she noticed the theft after seeing a piece of furniture outside the shed, built for her two years ago by neighbour Tony Phillips, 64.

“I saw the locks had been pulled off,” she said.

“I opened it, and the scooters had gone. I was just shocked.

“The batteries and keys were in here, so they couldn’t have used them anyway.

“They’re not insured. We can try and take them to get fixed, but we’ll be charged. The police haven’t said anything about where mine might be. I’d be very happy to get the scooter back, but it’s probably broken.”

Mr Phillips said the thieves had broken three locks on the front of the shed in order to get inside.

“I’d have heard them if they had used a hacksaw or something, they must have used some kind of cutters,” he said.

“It’s obviously been done during the night. They’ve tried to hotwire them or something, the wires are everywhere.

“I check the shed every morning to make sure they’re there, but it's just a sign of the times we’re in. If people are wanting money, they’ll pinch anything. There is no way Winnie and Ken could afford to buy them again. They’re pensioners, and they’re going to have to pay for the repairs. It’s a horrible thing to do. I hope the thieves rot in hell.”

Of the theft, Mrs Aldrich added: “They don’t know us, they see things and just take them.

“It’s not a very nice thing to happen. He (Ken) can hardly walk, which is why we’ve got these scooters, so that we can go out.

“I can get out and about a bit, but he can’t get anywhere.”

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “Police are investigating an incident where a shed was broken into in Idle Road, Bradford, between 12pm on Monday, November 28, and 9am on Tuesday, November 29.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bradford East Area Neighbourhood Team on 101, quoting crime reference 13160711200, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”

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