Pensioner fears scooter thieves

A Rockingham pensioner says he no longer feels safe living in the area after thieves broke into his garage and stole a mobility scooter for the second time this month.

Allan Cadwallader noticed the $3000 scooter missing from inside a locked carport on Sunday night.

It is the second time thieves have stolen a mobility vehicle from the 74-year-old this month, after a similar scooter was taken from his Rockingham Lakes property on April 4.

After the initial incident, Mr Cadwallader had a steel bar put across his garage door to prevent it being opened from the outside.

However, it appears thieves managed to again force their way into the carport before wheeling the recently bought scooter away.

The incident has left Mr Cadwallader, who is partially blind and suffers from emphysema, fearing for his safety.

‘‘I’m up all night with a baseball bat thinking that they’re going to come back,’’ he said.

‘‘I haven’t slept since.

‘‘I’ve had three heart attacks, I’ve got emphysema and I’ve had a stroke which blinded me — all that’s bad enough.

‘‘Then I have to go through this.

‘‘I’m angry. I’m really angry, and I don’t feel I’m safe in here now.’’

Mr Cadwallader bought the scooter, which is metallic blue in colour, over the internet because a previous one had been unsuitable.

He had used it to travel to nearby shops.

He suggested the thieves were most likely juveniles with little respect for the elderly.

‘‘The problem is there no respect any more, none whatsoever,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s just wrongto take things from a pensioner who’s worked bloody hard all his life.

‘‘Where are the parents when this is happening?’’

Both incidents were reported to police