Once again, we are seeing the most vulnerable members of our society affected by the cruel acts of unthinking criminals.

The theft of 11 catalytic converters from Bradford Council owned mini-buses will leave the authority facing a repair bill of many thousands of pounds.

But it has also had a huge impact on the lives of the children and adults with disabilities and special needs who rely on these mini-buses for transportation on a daily basis.

The cost of the repairs and replacements is likely to be covered in part at least by insurance, but the disruption to the routine and regular activities of the users of the buses and their families is the human cost of this crime. Those responsible, though, are unlikely to have given a second thought for these consequences, as long as they can make a quick buck on the back of other people’s pain and misery.

If they read, this, though, they might want to reflect on the impact their actions have on other people – and how they would feel if their friends or families were affected.

We would also appeal to anyone who may be offered these parts or metal they know is likely to have been plundered from them to contact the police.

Without a market, these thieves would soon stop committing appalling thefts like this.

And those who do knowingly trade in stolen goods are as guilty of the thieves themselves of exploiting the human misery of others.

Everything possible should be done to bring both types of criminal to justice – and when that happens, they need to be dealt with as severely as the law allows as a strong warning to others.