Image caption Mr Booth wants to carry out his dead father's duty

A Paralympian whose false legs were stolen days before his sister's wedding has appealed to thieves to return them so he can walk her down the aisle.

Anthony Booth, 33, has been practising for four months to walk without sticks to give away his sister Angela at her wedding on Saturday.

His artificial legs and wheelchair were in his car, which was stolen from outside his Manchester home on 12 June.

Anthony, a wheelchair athlete, lost his legs to meningitis when he was nine.

There's no sign of the legs Anthony Booth

The father-of-three from Brixworth Walk, Blackley, said: "I've been practising now for quite a long time to prepare for this day.

"I've been using sticks to walk, but I've finally managed to walk without the sticks and this is what I've prepared for, but there's no sign of the legs."

He said a friend had lent him a wheelchair so he can attend the ceremony at Manchester Town Hall in front of 150 guests, but Mr Booth still hopes the thieves who stole his black Astra will hand in his legs.

His sister had wanted him to walk her down the aisle since the death of their father 12 years ago.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said that the car containing the legs and wheelchair was driven away after the thief took Mr Booth's keys from inside his house.

The former wheelchair ice hockey athlete, who competed in the 1998 Winter Paralympics in Japan, is hoping to take part in the wheelchair races at the London 2012 Games.