A DISABLED woman is appealing for the return of a £1,200 mobility tricycle stolen from outside her home in York.

Anne Scholey, 54, of Coggan Close, in South Bank, had the specially adapted tricycle stolen last Monday and wants to see it returned.

Ms Scholey has spastic paraparesis and dyspraxia and can walk only a short distance. Although she has a motorised scooter to enable her to get around day to day, she said her specially adapted tricycle meant she could go on outings.

She said: “One of my main interests is natural history and my friend was going to take me on a special trip to see red kites.

“I had just paid out £60 for three new tyres for the trike and I was really looking forward to going on the trip.

“Now I won’t be able to go unless it’s returned.

“Getting a new one would cost a lot of money and it’s just too expensive so I’d like to appeal to whoever took it to return it. I just want it back.”

Ms Scholey said the trike was locked up and someone had cut through the locks to take it away.

She said she is not sure why she has been targeted and she reported the theft to police who are now investigating.

Hereditary spastic paraparesis is a group of genetic disorders in which the main feature is progressive spasticity resulting in weakness of the legs.

Dyspraxia is a poor development of co-ordination and concentration levels which may lead the sufferer to be reluctant to perform detailed movements, such as handwriting and tying shoelaces.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “This is a disgraceful crime. Whoever stole the mobility tricycle should be utterly ashamed of themselves as they must have known the distress and inconvenience the theft will have caused its owner.

“If you have any information about who stole the scooter or where it is now please phone York Police on 0845 6060247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111immediately.”