A DISABLED man with a serious spine injury is in shock after his mobility scooter was stolen.

Paul Murdoch, from Seaford Road in Hove, was mortified to find his most useful mode of transport had disappeared.

The 54-year-old checked his personal CCTV footage, outside his house, which showed his scooter being carted off by a male intruder.

He said: “It’s just a real pain. I really need it for popping out to get a pint of milk or for going down to the pub to meet friends for a drink.

“I have a bad spinal injury and I really can’t walk further than 50 yards, it’s terrible.”

Mr Murdoch heavily relies on the scooter.

He said occasionally when he has tried to walk with the support of his walking stick, he has fallen over. He said: “It’s really too hard for me to walk and I have fallen over and lost a few teeth because of that.

“I do have a car but it’s very irritating when you just want to go around the corner for something. I only really need my car if I go far, not just for grabbing a pint.”

The freelance IT engineer has a private garage at the back of his house where he normally keeps his scooter.

He said: “I don’t have insurance. It was given to me by my brother who knew I needed something to get around.

“It’s just really annoying and I’m pretty shocked that people would do such a thing.”

Mr Murdoch said this is not the first time his scooter has been stolen.

He said it was wheeled off not long ago and ended up being dumped in Wish Park, Hove.

He said: “I have lived here for about 20 years and I just don’t trust this place any more.

“The guy who has nicked it certainly knew what he was doing because he knew where the release was in order to make the wheels turn. I think it’s a guy who deals scrap metal. The frustrating thing is there’s not a lot of metal he can get out of it, it’s hardly much use, I’m the one that needs it.”

Mr Murdoch’s CCTV footage shows a man walking past his front door towards his private car park on Wednesday at about 3.45pm.

Minutes later a man is seen wheeling the scooter past the front door and out into Seaford Road.

A new mobility scooter of the same model as Mr Murdoch’s is likely to cost £2,000.

He said: “I really hope something does come of it and he’s found because I don’t want some other poor fellow going through the same ordeal.”

Police confirmed the theft had been reported. A spokesman said: “The scooter had been left without a battery outside Seaford Court in Seaford Road at 1pm on Wednesday. It was discovered missing at 9.45pm.

“Anyone with information about the incident is asked to report online or call 101.