Charity's 'devastation' after saddles for children with special needs are stolen in Scarborough

During the evening of Saturday January 11, a parked car was entered on Lonsdale Road, and a number of items of tack were taken.

The equipment was being used by a group on a 500-mile charity trek around Yorkshire, raising money to support children with autism.

Six items were stolen, including two unique saddles, designed for children with specialist needs: one brown, with the name ‘AKUA’ on the left side, the other black. Two girths and two hi-visibility riding blankets were also taken. The blankets are labelled ‘Autism Angels’ and are essential to keep the riders safe while out on the roads.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: "Unfortunately, thieves do target tack and horse riding equipment in general, as it is often very valuable. However, whoever has taken these particular items would know immediately that they belonged to a charity – making their criminal actions quite frankly beyond belief.

"We are urging anyone with information about this callous theft to do the right thing, and contact us, or Crimestoppers anonymously, so we can get this equipment back to its rightful owners."

Writing on their Facebook page, Autism Angels UK said: "It was definitely a heart breaking start to the day as we realised our tack had been stolen and we had no saddles or hi-vis for the horses. The real devastation of course comes to us because we know how much this is going to affect the children we work with once we get home.

"Whilst we are still in shock from these events we are also utterly warmed by the love and support out there… We’ve had countless messages of support from people all over the country offering love, equipment and support to us."

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for the Scarborough Neighbourhood Policing Team. You can also email [email protected]. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200006408 when passing information about the theft.