Mobility car theft will strand me and my disabled sons says Hucknall mum

A Hucknall foster mum and her two severely-disabled sons have been stranded after her brand new mobility car was stolen while she went shopping.
Titchfield Road, HucknallTitchfield Road, Hucknall
Titchfield Road, Hucknall

Linda Sewter parked the black Skoda Superb estate, which only had 25 miles on the clock, in a disabled bay near the Red Lion pub, on Titchfield Street, at around 12pm, on Tuesday, May 21.

She was only gone 15 minutes, but failed to lock the new keyless vehicle properly, and when she returned, the car, which has a disabled badge prominently displayed, was gone.

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Mrs Sewter, 70, of Hugesson Avenue, is the registered keeper of the car, which belongs to her severely autistic son Darren, aged 39, who lives in Rainworth, and relies on eight carers.

“I had to tell him that a naughty man took it,” said Mrs Sewter. “It is terrible. He just wants to go out and he wants his mum to take him. He depends on routine. He can’t cope with having no car.”

She said the theft would also impact her other foster son, Peter, 29, who suggers from learning difficulties and behaviour problems, and lives in South Normanton.

“They have been with me since they were ten months old,” she said. “They have nobody else. I am mum. They will both miss out on trips.”

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Mrs Sewter is annoyed because the dealership where she bought the car didn’t explain that the keyless lock wouldn’t activate if the spare fob is in the glove compartment.

She said she has had to change her house locks, because her keys were also in the car, but the biggest blow has been the loss of a book she has compiled for Darren, which contains pictures of his childhood home.

“I don’t want them to get away with it,” said Mrs Sewter. “They don’t know what damage they have done.”

She only bought the car four days earlier, and says she can’t get a courtesy car until the crime has been processed.

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Mrs Sewter is offering a reward for the safe return of the car, and has told people to get in touch via Facebook, or by calling 0115 953 7505.

If you have any information about the theft, you can also call police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, by quoting incident number 358-21-05-2019.