A DISABLED woman has become a prisoner in her own home after callous thieves stole her mobility scooter.

Shaken Janet Cole has been left housebound after the heartless vandals trashed her only means of transport.

The scooter was taken from the lobby at her block of flats in Littlemoor on Sunday morning.

It was recovered by police a short time later in a nearby field – but Mrs Cole said the wires had been damaged and body work had been taken off.

Mrs Cole, who is registered disabled, said it cannot be used now.

She described the scooter as a ‘life-line’ as she suffers with fibromyalgia, a disorder that causes pain all over the body, as well as chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis in her back and joints and she had to have two discs in her back removed to try and ease the pain.

The 56-year-old said: “I am really upset.

“I couldn’t afford to have my car put through its MOT and had to have it scrapped.

“The scooter was my only form of transport and now I’m housebound. I can’t even take my dog out for a walk.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without it.

“I usually keep it in my flat but I’m having the hall decorated and furniture delivered, so I thought it was better to leave it in the hall.

“I just don’t know what gets in to people or why someone would do this.”

She said the scooter must have been taken after 6am on Sunday because this is the time the night-time security system is disabled.

She added that another resident’s scooter was also taken but found undamaged at the back of the flats.

Since moving in, Mrs Cole said her car, which had been parked at the back of the block of flats, had been vandalised three times.

But now, without a car and without a mobility scooter, she can’t leave her home.

Dorset Police said that two disability scooters were recovered, one was damaged.

No arrests have been made but enquiries are ongoing.

Inspector Les Fry called the crime ‘despicable’.

He said with these sorts of crimes the offenders were ‘lower than the low’.

He said: “The offenders are stealing from people who have limited mobility and rely on these scooters to get them about.”

He added: “We would appeal for anyone who has information that may lead to the arrest of the people that took the scooters to come forward.”

Inspector Fry added that anyone with information about the crime should ‘search their conscience’ and get in touch with the police or Crimestoppers.

Witnesses and anyone with information about the crime should call Dorset Police on 101 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.