A YOUNG disabled man was left gutted after thieves wrote off his £800 wheelchair.
Cruel thugs stole the wheelchair after it was left unattended outside John Aspinall's home in Maudsley Street, Accrington.
His mum Evonne Taylforth had placed the chair in the street while getting John, who is 21, ready to go to Enfield Day Centre on Tuesday morning.
Although the chair was later found in nearby Horne Street, it had been completely wrecked.
Before it turned up, police branded the thieves "irresponsible" and urged witnesses to come forward. A postman reported seeing three youths with the wheelchair following the incident.
Mrs Taylforth, who runs a website for the Parachute Regiment and is a volunteer for the Seamen's and Soldiers' Family Association, said: "I am pleased it has been found but it is ruined. I think it has been tampered with and we are going to have to replace it.
"It was only just around the corner where they found it. I think some parents need to discipline their children more.
"The wheelchair has a special seat which alleviates pressure points. The insurance will cover the cost to replace it, but we will have to pay the first £100."
Over the years, the Observer has featured several stories about John, who was born with epilepsy and water on the brain, and has undergone vital treatment in America.
