CARE home residents have been left distraught and without their lifeline minibus after thieves stole it from the driveway.

The £18,000 bus, which had been adapted at a cost of £6,000 for disabled people, was used every day and was due to ferry 14 residents out for Christmas dinner next month.

It was taken from outside the Rough Lee residential care home in Roughlee Road, Accrington.

Manager Andrea Buckley said: “We have been celebrating 30 years of opening since July 2014 so continue to campaign to try and raise £1,000 a year each year to fund this minibus.

“We reached the £15,000 mark, which went towards the bus.

“It was very expensive and we are really disappointed as we planned to take the 14 residents at the home for a Christmas dinner on Christmas Day.

“It has been adjusted to the needs of those in the home so it would be of no use to others.

“It is the vehicle we use daily to take residents out as it is big enough for them to use. This has now stopped them from being able to go out.”

Paul Cain, 57, who has been a resident at the home for about two years, described the upset among people at the home.

He said: “We used the minibus to go out on daily trips so we will really miss it.

“It took us to hospital appointments, allowed us to socialise and visit the Blackpool illuminations.

“The home has CCTV but it was taken when it was dark.

“Someone clearly knows the area as we are quite well hidden from the main road and our home used to be the Accrington maternity unit.

Police said the vehicle, stolen between 10pm on November 5 and 10am the next day, had not been traced. It is a Ford Transit with registration number YH11 UBR.

Anyone with information should ring 101 and quote log number 513 of November 10.