A WOMAN left stranded after her mobility scooter was stolen is rejoicing after a kind donation from a Bury Times reader.

Julie Coombes, who lives in sheltered accommodation in Brandlesholme, was left devastated when the scooter was taken from outside her home in December.

CCTV footage failed to identify the thief, but now a Bury resident, who prefers to remain anonymous, has donated a spare scooter of her own.

“I’m absolutely over the moon,” said Mrs Coombes, aged 64.

“It’s pretty much new and I really can’t thank her enough. I knew nothing about it until I received a call from the police and they gave me a number to call. The lady wants to remain anonymous but she really has been wonderful and it just means I can get out and about again.”

Mrs Coombes relies on a scooter to get her out of the house and means she is able to visit her daughter. “It’s my lifeline,” she said. “I’d be lost without it. I can’t walk too well so it gets me around.”

The original scooter was found two weeks later in the same place that it was stolen but is now rendered unusable after it had been hotwired.

Mrs Coombes’ son, David, of Holme Avenue, insists that the scooter would never have been stolen had his mother been able to park it indoors. He said: “I just hope that Six Town Housing will change the ruling so that this scooter doesn’t get stolen as well.”

A spokesman from Six Town Housing said: “Six Town Housing has a duty to comply with the law in relation to fire safety. This includes ensuring we comply with the Housing Act, 2004 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which covers fire precautions and fire safety in communal areas in blocks of flats and sheltered housing schemes. This means that we cannot permit the storing of mobility scooters in communal areas as these will form an obstruction in the event of a fire.

“Where there is no other storage facility available, tenants would be expected to store their scooter in their flat.”