THIEVES stole my brothers freedom, says the sister of a disabled boy whose tricycle was stolen from outside their home.

Sebastian Girga’s family were heartbroken to discover the 14-year-old’s specially adapted trike had been stolen from outside the front of their home in Brocksby Chase, Halliwell.

Charlotte Girgova, his 21-year-old sister, later discovered her brother’s trike badly damaged in a nearby park.

She said: “Sebastian was always on his bike until it got stolen. He now has to stay in the house and uses his wheelchair for school.

“He uses his tricycle for everything. He could go anywhere on it before but now he can’t go anywhere. It was especially made for him. It was very expensive.”

A physiotherapist arr-anged for Sebastian to get the tricycle about four years ago. The family is now trying to see if it can be replaced or whether they will need to fundraise to buy a new one.

Ms Girgova said: “I don’t see what the people who took it thought was so funny about taking the bike.

“It’s ruined one little boy’s freedom — especially at this time of year when the weather is nice. His friends are always asking him to come out but now he can’t because of his bike.”

She said the family would like to say a huge thank you to fundraisers who have offered to help in covering the costs of repairing the bike or getting a new trike for Sebastian, a year nine pupil at Mount St Joseph School in Farnworth Police issued an appeal for people with information about the crime to come forward.

Det Sgt Patrick Wood said: "Whoever has stolen this bike should be ashamed.”

The tricycle was stolen from a paved area outside the front door of the family’s home between 5pm and 9pm on Tuesday, April 22.

Anyone with information can call police on 0161 8565619 or Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111.