VANDALS robbed a disabled man of his independence when they stole two mobility scooters from his shed and smashed them to pieces.

Malcolm Pierrepont, 60, of Stanley Street, Cudworth, has been left devastated because he is unsure whether his insurance will pay for a replacement and he cannot get about without a scooter.

He said: "They've not just taken my legs away, they've taken my heart as well." Malcolm has been editing the Cudworth newsletter Chewin t'Cud for 12 years but says he is too upset to carry it on.

The two scooters, one worth £2,695 and the other about £700, were taken from the hut in his back garden last week. Hours later they were found dumped and destroyed, one at Darfield Road Club and the other at the council offices in Bow Street. He had only just finished paying for the larger, more expensive scooter which was two-and-a-half years old.

He said: "People usually pinch things for a reason. But this, to me, there's just no reason behind it. That's our society today. I blame the system because they know they can get away with it."