where’s the respect?

Thieves sneaked to Thomas Carr’s home, took the scooter from its lock-up and then left parts of it strewn nearby - along with his spectacles.

Mr Carr, a great-grandfather who is 86 and took part in the D-Day landings, now faces a crisis as the scooter was not insured, leaving him to find the £1,000-plus cost of a new one.

In the meantime, the World War II marine will have to pay taxi fares or rely on family for lifts.

Proudly clutching his campaign medals, he said: “I am disgusted that anyone could do this.”

And in a sickening irony, the thieves won’t even be able to get the scooter started as Mr Carr kept the ignition key in the house.

A widower, Mr Carr is a popular figure along Boothroyd Lane where he lives in Dewsbury Moor. People are used to seeing him go out, smartly dressed and sporting his armed service tie.

“I used the scooter all the time for shopping or for going into town,” he said. “I have a lot of trouble walking due to arthritis. I want to get another scooter if I can, but it might have to be second-hand. The insurance had run out and I forgot to renew it.

“And they don’t even have the keys to start the scooter. I can only think they wanted it for scrap.”

A member of Dewsbury British Legion, Mr Carr was at Juno beach for the D-Day landings, later being sent to Burma as the war drew to a close. He is also a member of the Burma Star Association and the Landing Craft Association and has five campaign medals.

Parts of the scooter were found by grandchildren of Mr Carr’s friend and neighbour, David Butterworth. Thieves had left an armrest and the scooter’s shopping basket containing Mr Carr’s spectacles.

Mr Butterworth, 54, hit out at the culprits: “They should be ashamed. He is 86 and to take his scooter is just despicable. This generation has no respect at all. No concept of it.

“When you think what Mr Carr’s generation went through this is a disgrace. But to them it’s a joke.”

Mr Butterworth will ask the local Westborough WMC to help with some fundraising in a bid to restore Mr Carr’s independence.

A police spokesman said the scooter was a red Rally model and taken overnight between Friday May 13 and Saturday May 14.

Contact police on 0845 6060606.