An angel of mercy has come to the rescue of a severely ill teenager after vandals destroyed his main means of transport in a £3,000 wrecking spree.

Tim Lambert, 16, who suffers from Down's Syndrome, was heartbroken when vandals stole his made-to-measure tricycle in a raid on Chapel Grange Special School, Allerton, in April. But now the teenager has been given a new lease of life after 53-year-old Carol Moss, of Idle, came forward to donate her own trike to Tim, his only alternative to a wheelchair.

Mrs Moss, who suffers from arthritis in her spine, knees and hands, says her disability means she is no longer able to use her trike.

"I was so angry when I read about what had happened at the school in the T&A," said Mrs Moss. "I couldn't believe that someone could do that to people who are disabled.

"My mobility is very limited and the trike is of no use to me. I was very pleased to be able to donate it to Tim."

The break-in at the school in Rhodesway left £3,000 worth of outdoor pursuits equipment smashed and ruined a holiday for a group of disabled children.

A month later, Tim's £6,000 trike was found abandoned by police, but it had been severely damaged. Now, bike shop owners David and Louise Watson, of King Cross Cycles, Halifax, have also stepped in to renovate Mrs Moss's donated trike and repair Tim's original trike free of charge.

Co-ordinator of outdoor pursuits at the school Alan Elsworth said: "This is brilliant news."

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