Dying man's mobility scooter smashed up by vandals
A CANCER sufferer – who has been given just months to live – has been left "stranded and devastated" after vandals trashed his mobility scooter.
Tony Bendell – who has been told by doctors he will not live until March – says he is "lost" without the scooter, which he used to travel between St Andrew's Hospice and his mum's house in Cleethorpes.
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Stranded: Tony Bendell, who has terminal cancer, is devastated after his mobility scooter was vandalised. Picture: Abby Ruston
Tony, 41, discovered the damage on Boxing Day, after being allowed to spend two days at home with his mum for Christmas.
The scooter, which had been charging under the stairwell in Harrison Court, Grimsby Road, had been ripped to pieces, with the handlebars pulled off and wires cut.
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Tony, who is currently back in the hospice, where he hopes to spend his final days, now has no way of travelling to see his mum when he feels well enough to do so.
He said: "I can't believe anybody would do this. A mobility scooter is obviously going to belong to somebody who is elderly or unwell.
"I've only got a few weeks to live and now I can't go and see my mum. There are no buses to here and she's elderly and can't drive herself. She says she's going to spend some of her pension coming to visit next week but she shouldn't have to."
Tony, who worked cleaning fish boxes on Grimsby's Europarc until his health deteriorated, was diagnosed with throat cancer a year and nine months ago after initially being misdiagnosed with thrush.
The former Matthew Humberstone pupil was operated on at Hull's Castle Hill Hospital and underwent both radio and chemotherapy but the cancer had spread too far.
He now has cancer of the brain, lungs, liver and ribs and there is no further treatment available to him.
He bought the second-hand electric scooter from a shop on St Peter's Avenue for £225 a couple of weeks ago after his mobility decreased.
"I can only walk about 50 metres now and then my legs just collapse," he said.
"It wasn't a new scooter but it did everything I needed.
"My friend has had a look online to see if he can find out how to fix it but it's in such a bad state he doesn't know where to start.
"I hope somebody will read this who can help us to fix it so that I can get back out again.
"I'm only 41 and my life is over but having the scooter gave me the freedom to travel to see my mum when I felt well enough and that meant a lot."
Can you help?
If you can help Tony get back on the road, call 01472 372236 or e-mail newsdesk@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk
Comments
by donnyblues
Monday, December 31 2012, 9:09PM
“I went to school with Tony...Shocking act by SCUM...Lets hope a good samaritan gets him up and about soon..”
by kizzymeg
Sunday, December 30 2012, 10:26PM
“The time is nearly on us when decent law abiding moral people in our town finally say enough is enough,for the sake of your children and grand childrens future the feral underclass can and must not win.....watch and wait.”
by SpaldingGY
Sunday, December 30 2012, 12:00PM
“Name and shame, pictures in all national newspapers, front page, full address given, bu no doubt the courts will stop their identities from being made public "for their own safety". Bring back the stocks and let the public decide on the punishment and then watch these cretins crying for mummy to come and protect them. Even better would be to video them in the stocks, crying and post it on Facebook.”
by sondog
Sunday, December 30 2012, 10:45AM
“Lego and mobility scooters have so much in common, lets see what transpires ;)”
by davendogs
Sunday, December 30 2012, 10:01AM
“I stand by what I said previously. Just a thought, can repairs be claimed on house insurance? I don't know if things like this would be covered. Also, if you get mobility allowance. Would that cover it.”
by mistletoe50
Saturday, December 29 2012, 9:29PM
“If caught take away their mobile phones their tvs ,ipods anything that they like to make the little gets suffer , and then introduce them to someone capable of giving them a bloody good hiding , then make thier parents pay for another scooter for the poor guy .. my best wishes to you Tony ...”
by Dailyman
Saturday, December 29 2012, 8:33PM
“Perhaps the two blinkered teenagers who wrote the riculous 'article' on 'Great Grimsby' would like to comment on this, the REAL Grimsby?”
by Intolerant
Saturday, December 29 2012, 8:00PM
“Perhaps the Muppet who diagnosed him with thrush will put his hand in his overstuffed wallet and buy him a new one...............but I doubt it!”
by wallerdave
Saturday, December 29 2012, 4:06PM
“how can anyone go as low as to damage a wheelchair belonging to either a disabled or ill person,makes me sick,i agree vigilantes is the only way to sort these scum out,our justice system stinks,if they did catch whoever was responsible for this,they will do what give them community work,a fine maybe that they will not have any intention of paying,find them and put them in a room with the family of this poor man and let them hand out justice there own way,my heart goes out to them all”
by Dexxx
Saturday, December 29 2012, 3:28PM
“The more I read this paper the greater the merit I see in vigilantes You certainly can't rely on the law let alone justice”