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A cruel thief stole a disabled man's specially-adapted electric wheelchair while he was visiting a friend's home.

Dom Hyams, who was born with a rare form of brittle bone disease, says he is "shell-shocked" after the chair was taken, saying it "is my everything really".

The 27-year-old left the wheelchair outside a house in east London for about half an hour this morning.

He was devastated when he found the Balder F280 wheelchair, which cost £17,500, had disappeared.

Without the wheelchair he cannot get around independently, and also cannot drive his specially adapted van to get into work.

Mr Hyams, a communications director at tech app company assist-Mi, said: "My wheelchair is my everything really, it is my means of getting around and living a full and independent life including getting to work in Central London.

(Image: Google)

"I use it all day every day, and without it I am fully reliant on others to do absolutely everything for me. I am shell-shocked and extremely upset, and if I'm honest I can't quite believe it yet."

His sister Holly has since appealed for help to fund a replacement wheelchair.

Holly wrote on the fundraising page : "Dom leads a very happy and independent life. He works full time, and he is a vocal advocate of independence for disabled people.

"This will all change dramatically without the use of a specially adapted chair. Please help if you can, I cannot emphasise enough how devastating this is for Dom."

If the wheelchair turns up the siblings say they will donate the money raised between the charities that funded the original chair - Action for Kids and The Brittle Bone Society.

More than £5,000 has already been offered by the public after news of the theft spread.

The wheelchair was stolen from Lordship Park in Stoke Newington between 7.30am and 8am today.