Disabled girl left without vital equipment after car is stolen

Audrey Frantzich, two, has to be tube-fed and constantly hooked up to an oxygen supply but has now been left house-bound after someone took her specialist car seat, buggy, chair and oxygen canister as well as the vehicle’s disabled badge.

The youngster suffers from a rare genetic condition which means she cannot sit up, walk or talk.

Her parents, Louise and Herman Frantzich, 24, discovered that their Rover Streetwise had been stolen from their home in Baildon, near Bradford, on Saturday. A satellite navigation system and camera full of pictures charting Audrey’s life were also taken. Police recovered the car the same day and arrested three people but the family are still missing the equipment which was used by Audrey on a daily basis.

Mrs Frantzich, 28, said: “It’s had a huge impact on our life over Christmas. We wanted to go out and do things with Audrey, but we’ve not been able to because the buggy we would have put her in was stolen.

“The buggy reclines so Audrey is in a comfortable position as she often gets tired when she holds her head up. Her special sitting chair was taken too, which is really useful when we go to see family or when we are in the house so she can sit up by herself. They’ve even taken the fleece blanket I bought to keep her warm when we go out. It’s been awful for Audrey, she’s quite social and loves to go out and about and see different places, but because we’ve been stuck in she’s been really unsettled.”

The family’s situation and a £500 insurance excess mean they will struggle to replace the stolen items in enough time to take Audrey to a hospital appointment on Friday. A police spokesman said two women, aged 18 and 25, have been released without charge and a 24 year-old man has been released on bail pending further inquiries.