A five-year-old disabled boy has been left devastated after thieves stole his wheelchair ramp.
The metal ramp was taken from his home in Stockton, Teeside, in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Mum Natalie Roberts, 28, was left frustrated and angry, TeesideLive reports.
Roberts, who is a full-time mum-of-three and carer to Harley, says her son needs the ramp to get in and out of the house.
He has cerebral palsy and has difficulty walking and is still recovering from complex surgery carried out last May to help improve his mobility.
She was devastated to wake up on Saturday morning to find the metal ramp had vanished.
Without it, Natalie has had to lift Harley and his walking frame over the doorstep each and every time they go in and out of the house.
She said: "It's not that they have just taken a ramp away, they have taken his independence away. He's just a five-year-old child."
She reported the theft to the police and put a social media post out appealing for information.
On Monday, she was contacted by a woman who bought the ramp for £40 from an advert placed on Facebook Marketplace.
When she also spotted Natalie's post saying it had been stolen, she proceeded to return it to the family.
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The 28-year-old said: "It was really nice of them to buy it and return it and it is now back at the house. But they (the thieves) have still got what they wanted.
"It's appalling what they have done and I still hope the police can do something about it. These people should not be allowed to walk the streets."
Cleveland Police have confirmed they are investigating the theft.
A spokesperson said: "Police received a report of a stolen wheelchair ramp from outside a property on Rosedale Gardens, Stockton, which happened overnight on Friday October 8 into Saturday October 9.
"Officers have logged a crime report and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information can call police on 101, quoting reference 171251."
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