Cruel thieves steal birthday money from 10-year-old disabled boy and donations for children’s hospice charity Claire House

Oct 14 2010 by Danielle Manning, Skelmersdale Advertiser

Jack

HEARTLESS thieves stole birthday money from a 10-year-old disabled boy.

Jack Heapy has special needs, epilepsy and is blind.

The money given for his 10th birthday was going to be used to build a sensory garden, but thieves ransacked the house in Earlswood, Tanhouse, taking his £260, a £100 charity donation and £200 worth of goods.

His mother Gill, who also has a daughter with Down’s syndrome, has been left devastated by the burglary on Monday.

She said: “The house has been fully adapted, so they must have known a disabled child lived here.

“It is terrible that they can just take money off a child with special needs, it is really awful.

“You just think, what are they even using it for, is it for drugs? It is a really low thing to do.

“Everyone I have told has been horrified by it.”

Along with the birthday money, donations of £100 raised from the sales of a raffle in aid of Claire House were also stolen.

Gill said: “It was really obvious that the money was for charity, it was in a folder with all of the raffle tickets, and the birthday money was stashed between all his cards.

“I feel really angry about it.”

Police believe the thieves climbed over the 6ft garden fence and broke in through the patio door.

Gill added: “I was out for quite a few hours and when I came back at 1.50pm I realised someone had been in the house.

“The drawers were open and there were muddy footprints everywhere.”

Jack has an undiagnosed syndrome and attends a specialist school in Liverpool.

“He is a really happy boy, he is always smiling. But what has happened is so upsetting,” Gill said.

A police spokesman said: “This crime is particularly heartless because of the vulnerability of the victims.”

Anybody with information is asked to call Skelmersdale police on 0845 1253545.