Epileptic robbed in Kidsgrove street as he had fit- by thieves who pretended to help him
THIEVES snatched a wallet belonging to an epilepsy sufferer while he was having a fit in a town centre.
The crooks at first pretended to help pensioner John Bostock as he lay paralysed on the pavement in Kidsgrove.
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TARGETED: John Bostock was attacked by thieves as he lay paralysed on the pavement in Kidsgrove.
But they then rifled through his pockets and stole the victim's wallet containing £10 in cash, bank cards and his free bus pass.
Now the 66-year-old, of Woodlands Avenue in Butt Lane, has revealed it was the sixth time he has been targeted while suffering seizures since his illness was diagnosed 20 years ago.
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He believes the recession is to blame for the latest attack in broad daylight.
The latest theft was in King Street in mid-morning as Mr Bostock was out shopping, just before Christmas.
He was also targeted in Burslem around four years ago, and Manchester in 2011, when the culprits used his cards to buy £600 worth of goods including petrol and food.
The former foundry manager, of Butt Lane, said: "This is so frequent it is almost becoming an occupational hazard of suffering from epilepsy.
"Other sufferers up and down the country have told me it has happened to them as well.
"To those in good health it must sound sickening that some people will stoop this low but when you have epilepsy you see it is as just another thing to get through.
"They steal stuff like bus passes and rail cards which they cannot use and if they are so desperate for cash I would probably give them a tenner."
The ex-grenadier guard helped form the Stoke-on-Trent branch of Epilepsy Action in 1995 after encountering little local help for sufferers.
He has been chairman for the past eight years and sits on the charity's national council.
He also runs a helpline – 0808 800 5050 – for fellow patients.
Mr Bostock – a finalist in The Sentinel's Our Heroes awards in 2006 – hopes that by speaking out he will not deter people from trying to help when sufferers have seizures.
He said: "Ninety-nine percent of people are genuine and we appreciate their actions.
"The problem is when you come round and find your wallet gone, you have no idea who took it so the chances of them being caught are negligible.
"I sometimes have two seizures a month and if I knew in advance when they were coming I'd leave my wallet at home. But you just can't tell.
"When it happened in Manchester I had just left a Dolly Parton concert at the MEN arena and they took my rail card I was using to get to a management meeting in Leeds the next day – so it cost me a lot to replace it in time."
Stacey Rennard, campaigns manager at Epilepsy Action, said: "Taking advantage of anyone who is in a vulnerable state is obviously unacceptable.
"A particular concern is that some people with epilepsy carry medical ID cards in their wallet or purse.
"These are used to let people know what to do in case of a seizure and to inform medical professionals that a person has epilepsy."
A police spokesman said: “The Kidsgrove incident was reported to us as lost property involving a wallet containing cards and a bus pass.”
Comments
by Real_Stokie
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 10:37PM
“peterggg - enlighten us to the relevence of your comment?”
by Backdoored
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 10:24PM
“by Exserviceman
"I think it's a bit disingenuous to blame the austerity measures because to be quite honest they've hardly begun to bite". unquote.
Obviously some have thicker layers of cotton wool to come off than others.
No one with a modicum of common sense can justify or condone 'poverty as an excuse for robbery and burglary... although when the Gap is wider enough -as 'between that of the Sheriff of Nottingham and the peasants' -A Robin Hood figure becomes part of the peoples' folklore.
But this despicable act is not in anyway to be compared with that of robbing the rich evil brutal Barons. In fact this act of robbery against a helpless person had the same evil attitude behind it as that displayed by the Barons.
It is a fact -and well documented, that crime statistics 'swing to and fro' as the the state of the economic well being of a country 'swings to and fro'.... and more starkly shown when there is a sudden change to the economic climate -as that experienced over the past 5 years... and forecast to get worse before it gets better.
The latter fact being why I do agree with you that to cut the Police Force, as this Government has done, at this time -is totally irresponsible and shows a complete lack of understanding of how society in general deals with economic stress and functions at street level.”
by delbourne
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 9:42PM
“This is absolutely disgusting .”
by ripleydad
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 9:29PM
“maggots is a bit unfair to fishing bait ,they are not that good .”
by ripleydad
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 9:27PM
“We have created some real monsters with the survival instincts and ethics of dog fleas . You do wonder what is actually going on in their minds while they are doing these things ,its almost like grave robbing”
by ravo1972
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 8:49PM
“Stick Stanley knife blades in your wallet,keep cards and cash in another pocket.”
by peterggg
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 8:43PM
“Our country is in a mess, while our politicians debate and worry about building up the EU they are neglecting us and our country, we have to make a stand so they listen. support UKIP get us out of the EU to start with then politicians will concentrate on the UK”
by Anon_mow_cop
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 7:49PM
“Just scumbags, I can't believe people like that exist, they don't deserve the oxygen they use to stay alive.”
by Bonbonforever
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 6:01PM
“catch em an kill em! would this act as a deterrent? How far do things have to go before the pendulum swings back the other way?
Yes killing em is extreme but I need to express my anger!!!
W**kers!”
by Killuminati
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 4:33PM
“Animals”