Disabled man left devastated as police drop probe into theft of £15,000 wheelchair just FIVE HOURS after the incident

 
Dom Hyams' wheelchair was stolen this morning but police said there is "insufficient information" to continue with the investigation (Picture: Dom Hyam/Facebook)
Dom Hyams
Laura Proto5 August 2015

A disabled man whose wheelchair was stolen has been dealt a second blow after police confirmed they had stopped their investigation - less than six hours after the theft was reported.

Dom Hyams posted the devastating news that his specially made motorised wheelchair, which he is reliant on, was stolen from outside a friend's house in Lordship Park, Stoke Newington, between 7.30am and 8am today.

The plea for information about the theft, which was reported to the police at 8.14am, was retweeted and shared by thousands of people in the hope the wheelchair would be returned.

But just five and a half hours later, at 1.35pm, police informed Mr Hyams by email that they would no longer be investigating the theft of the wheelchair due to "insufficient information".

Mr Hyams said police gave him no indication they would not investigate fully when the crime was reported.

Speaking to the Standard, Mr Hyams said: "When I saw they weren't going to investigate any further, I felt a sense of disbelief really seeing as they didn't do very much at all before that.

"When something has been stolen, of course you are not going to have all the information you need but you need to do a bit of investigating and it appears they have done none of that.

"It is very disappointing and very confusing really."

Mr Hyams added he was grateful to all those who had shared his appeal.

He said: "The amount of social media interaction has been amazing and the word has gone round and hopefully someone has seen something. The chair is literally my legs."

The email, sent from the Met's crime management unit to Mr Hyams, which has been seen by the Standard, said: "I am sorry to learn that you have become a victim of crime.

"Following the initial investigation, your crime has been reviewed to see whether there are viable opportunities for further investigation.

"As a result, it has been concluded that at this time unfortunately there is insufficient information to proceed, and that the specific investigation into your crime will now be closed."

The email continues that while the response may "frustrate and disappoint", police will take "further steps".

The Met said if an offender is caught for a similar crime at a later date, they will investigate whether they were also responsible for the crime against Mr Hyams, and if the "property that was stolen" is recovered it will be returned to him.

The crime has also been passed on to the local police intelligence unit, the Met said, and support is also available from the local safer neighbourhood team and Victim Support.

The email ends by saying: "Once again I am sorry that you have become a victim of crime. I would like to re-emphasise that the specific investigation into your crime is now closed."

A GoFundMe page has since been set up to raise £25,000 to pay for a new wheelchair for Mr Hyams and for adaptations to his van to allow the specialised wheelchair to fit correctly and safely.

The wheelchair, a Balder F280, cost £17,500 when it was purchased in 2010 but the company has recently closed down meaning an equivalent will need to be found.

If My Hyams' wheelchair is found, money donated will be divided equally between The Brittle Bone Society and Action for Kids, who initially helped fund the wheelchair.

A spokeswoman for the Met could not immediately provide further comment on why the investigation was dropped.

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