AN elderly veteran has been left devastated after his mobility scooter was stolen from outside the front door of his home.

Former Royal Marine George Marsden, 85, had the scooter taken from outside his home in Pheasantford Green, Burnley.

It was later found dumped in Queen’s Park with its tyres slashed, seat broken and wiring ripped out.

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The theft has been branded as ‘outrageous’ by a disability campaigner while the town’s MP said it was an ‘absolutely disgraceful’ thing to do.

Mr Marsden said as usual he had left the scooter outside his house in its usual place, and when he came to bring the vehicle inside it had gone.

He said: “I used to take the dog out at 4pm and he’d run alongside, and I’d bring it in every teatime and put it on charge.

“But when I came out this time it was gone. Someone told me some lads had taken it, but I couldn’t go after them.

“They must have hot wired it because I had the key in my pocket.

“The worst thing is, they’ve taken my independence. I can’t even get to the shops.

“It used to get me out and I’m just stuck in the house now, it’s not good.

“I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m fed up of looking at the TV.”

The pensioner suffers from heart problems, and can only walk very short distances, so his nine-year-old chocolate labrador Archie has also been missing out on walks since the scooter was taken.

He said: “I was always out. I took the dog out three times a day. I loved to go to the shops, it gave me something to do. I just can’t do it now.”

Mr Marsden later received a call to say the scooter, which is worth around £3,000, had been found in the park, but when he made his way up there he found it had been very badly damaged.

He said: “I informed the police and got a taxi up there.

“It was absolutely wrecked. They’d punctured all the tyres, broke the seat and ripped all the wiring out.

“The police said they’d charge me £100 to move it, so my carer’s daughter came to pick it up.

“It wasn’t insured, so I’ve lost everything.”

Burnley’s MP Gordon Birtwistle said: “I think it’s absolutely terrible that somebody would want to steal an elderly man’s mobility scooter.

“He’s served this country and kept us free, but the response is that somebody goes and steals his scooter. It’s absolutely disgraceful.

“I’ll have a word with the police about that charge, they can’t try and charge a poor man £100.

“I hope that they find the person who stole it and that that person is suitably punished and enjoys a period of time at the pleasure of Her Majesty.

“If Mr Marsden wants to contact my office I will see what we can do for him, to help him get it replaced.”

Eddie Duxbury, chairman of the East Lancashire-based National Disabled Action Group, said: “I’m really, really angry about this.

“The disabled, especially the ones with mobility problems, are defenceless against these sort of aggressors.

“This is the second time I’ve heard about this sort of theft recently in East Lancashire.

“To attack a defenceless man of that age and steal his mobility scooter is outrageous.”

A police spokeswoman said the scooter had been reported as being stolen between 4pm and 6.40pm on December 30.

She said unknown offenders had approached the scooter and pushed it out of sight before making off with it.

The spokeswoman said neighbourhood officers were looking into the incident.