Thieves hit disabled riding group

Thieves have targeted a riding for the disabled centre in Bedfordshire taking saddles, bridles and specialist equipment worth thousands of pounds. Two doors to the tack room were smashed open in the raid at the Elisabeth Curtis Centre in Bromham.

More than 100 children and adults between the ages of four and nearly 60 use the centre every week.

Group chairman Terri Cornner said: "We just started the new term on Monday and now this has put us out of business."

She told the BBC News website: "The riders use the centre as part of their physiotherapy and now they are not going to get that simply because of these people. If we can be targeted as a disabled group, then anyone can be targeted by these people who just get away with it."

Ms Cornner added: "This must have been a well-planned incident. It looks like they used a vehicle and loaded everything into it."

She said the items stole overnight on Wednesday included 17 saddles which will cost at least £500 each to replace, bridles and specialist stirrups that cost £100 a set.

The centre relies on fundraising and volunteers to operate and fundraising had been taking place in recent days in local supermarkets.

The centre was the target of another incident last year in which the manes and tails of the ponies were cut.