Mobility scooter thieves leave cancer battle great grandad grounded

A great-grandad who beat cancer has been left stranded after his electric bike was snatched from outside his local supermarket.
Billy Vaughan had his electric scooter stolen outside Asda and is appealing for its returnBilly Vaughan had his electric scooter stolen outside Asda and is appealing for its return
Billy Vaughan had his electric scooter stolen outside Asda and is appealing for its return

William Vaughan, 79, beat lung cancer last year, but was warned by doctors that he would suffer from permanent breathlessness for the rest of his life due to the damage caused to his organs.

As a result he relied on his electric Powabyke - a specially designed bike recommended for people with mobility problems - to get around.

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But the bike was snatched on Thursday last week while William spent just five minutes shopping in Asda on Cherry Tree Road.

The great-grandad-of-six, who lives on Preston New Road, said: “I was only in there five minutes, and I came out and my bike was gone.

“I beat lung cancer but they told me I’d be short of breath for the rest of my life, but I can live with that.

“What I can’t live with is that I can’t go out without my bike. I use it to go shopping. It’s stopping me getting about.

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“I was very upset and couldn’t sleep for two nights. My grandson bought the bike for me and I feel as though I’ve let him down. If I had bought it myself I wouldn’t have minded so much.”

The theft was caught on Asda’s CCTV cameras, however, the criminal wore a dark hood to disguise their appearance, and they could not be identified.

A police spokesman said: “This was reported to us at around 1.45pm.

“The owner has gone inside Asda to do some shopping and someone has made off with the bike.”

Anyone with any information about the theft is asked to call the police on 101 quoting the log reference number 0727 of July 13.

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