Widow loses her freedom (From Warrington Guardian)

Widow loses her freedom

YOUTHS wrecked an elderly widow's custom-made bike after stealing it as she shopped for washing powder.

The 80-year-old emerged from the Late Shop in Princess Street to find her bicycle had been stolen.

A young boy, who had seen a group of boys take it, helped her to find the bike near St Vincent's Catholic Church in Tatton Street.

"She was absolutely exhausted by the time she found the bike," said her daughter Jean Cartman. "Apparently these lads were playing around with it and just wanted to destroy it. They are Knutsford nuisances." The pensioner had gone to the Late Shop because it was a Sunday. Normally she cycles from Sandileigh Avenue and stops in Canute Square where a shopkeeper and taxi drivers guard it for her. Last week the woman's family were trying to pay for repairs to the Peugeot bike, which had been a Christmas present from her grandson. "Since Sunday she has not been able to go out on her own," said Mrs Cartman. "She has lost her independence." Earlier this year her mother was mugged for her pension book. She was also burgled by a man posing as a maintenance official.