Thieves take autistic boy’s prized bike

Aug 26 2010 by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier

bike

A SEVERELY AUTISTIC teenager whose only joy is riding his bike to see his pals has been left distraught after it was stolen.

Alistair MacKenzie (14) finds it difficult to socialise and make friends and can’t go out anywhere on his own.

He gets picked on by cruel bullies when he does venture out the house – but recently Alistair struck up a friendship with two boys from his school.

Alistair also has joint hypermobility, which causes pains in his feet and legs when he walks, so mum and dad Liz and Stuart bought him a bike so he could visit his new pals.

Liz said being able to see his friends made Alistair feel worthwhile and had given him reason to leave his home.

But after the theft of his beloved bike at the start of the month, Liz said her son has become housebound again and is devastated at losing his means of transport.

Liz, from Scott Court in Craigshill, told the Courier this week that she is heartbroken at the theft of the bike and the effect it has had on her son.

She added: “Alistair is pretty much housebound as he is unable to go out on his own, he can’t socialise and is picked on by cruel bullies each time he leaves the house.

“He has made two friends from school who he has been able to build up a friendship with.

“This has proved invaluable to him, helping his social skills, making him feel worthwhile, and was until recently giving him a reason to leave the house.

“He only leaves the house on his bike which we recently purchased from a friend’s catalogue so that we could pay it up as at £185, we were unable to meet the full cost as both my husband and myself can’t work due to Alistair needing full time care.

“Alistair returned from his friends house in Ladywell and left his bike in the driveway of our home intending to go back out on it.

“The bike is usually stored in our locked garage but on this occasion he left it in the driveway but forget it was there.

“In the morning we realised the bike had been stolen and reported the incident to the police.”

Liz is asking whoever took the bike to give it back so her son can go out and visit his friends.

She continued: “I want to appeal to anyone who has taken the bike or seen the bike in the Craigshill area to please return it to where they took it from or to let Livingston Police know as without it my son is now back to staying indoors, feeling isolated and extremely upset, not understanding why someone has taken his bike from his home.

“We are still left making payments for the original bike so are in no position to be able to purchase him a new one so without his safety blanket of his bike he is now housebound.”

The bike is a blue and white Townsend model with 18 gears, dual suspension and a large 26ins frame and a fluorescent green bike lock.

Anyone with information should contact Livingston Police Station on 01506 431200.