A disabled woman has been left housebound after her wheelchair was stolen in a burglary.

Amanda Hockey, 30, who calls her wheelchair "her legs", can barely stand without assistance due to her spina bifida.

But heartless thieves last week stole the family car, and with it, the wheelchair, which is distinctive as it has been decorated by Miss Hockey with silver hearts.

Miss Hockey' mother, Sandra, said: "It churns my stomach to think that someone has taken it. We can't get to hospital appointments now as it is the only car we have. I'm usually such a light sleeper so I can't believe I didn't hear them downstairs. Since it happened Amanda has been finding it hard to sleep."

Police believe the burglar put something through the letterbox to pull down the handle of their front door on Iberian Avenue, Wallington.

Between 9.30pm on February 15 and 8am on February 16, the thief got into the house, stole the car keys whilst the two were asleep upstairs, and made off in their nearly new Vauxhall Astra.

The car is described as silver with the registration number: LD61 AVB. Sandra Hockey said: "It's easy to remember because it ends with AVB for Amanda's Very Beautiful."

The family have been unable to get a courtesy car for 21 days as their car is a leased motability vehicle. They have had to hire an "unsuitable" wheelchair for £5 a day, as well as having to reapply for a blue badge so they can park in disabled bays.

If you know where this car is parked or you have seen this wheelchair, contact Sutton’s Burglary & Robbery Investigation Team on 020 8649 0777 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police constable Duncan Harris, crime prevention officer at Sutton, urged residents with UPVc doors that when they lift up the inside handle to also lock the door with a key to make sure their door is double locked, "this would make sure it cannot be opened by someone using a device through the letterbox to pull down the handle."