Recovery firm to the rescue after disabled man’s car burnt out

A RECOVERY firm has stepped in and given a car to a man with a disability after his vehicle was stolen and torched.

Thieves took the vehicle on a weekend that saw so-called ‘death drivers’ stealing at least four cars in north Belfast.

The man lives on the Cavehill Road with his family.

He woke up on Saturday morning to discover his Peugeot 206 had been stolen.

SDLP councillor Paul McCusker said: “The man is booked in for an operation next week.

“So he would have used it to get around, to go to hospital and the shops.

“When he found it had been stolen, he was devastated.”

The victim lost a number of mobility aids and personal items when the car was burnt out.

Mr McCusker praised the spirit of local people in coming to the man’s assistance.

BTS Recovery, based on Black-

Anger: Paul McCusker

staff Road, stepped in to provide the victim with a new car.

BTS Recovery manager James Connolly said: “We read it on Twitter, and then we contacted Paul (McCusker) via private message.

“We knew by looking at the car it was the sort of thing we could cover.

“We said we were happy to provide a car.”

Mr Connolly said he would be replacing the man’s car with a newer model, and would have it MOT’d before delivering it today so it could be driven for a year.

Over the weekend two other cars were set on fire in north Belfast, around North Queen Street and Southwell Street.

Sinn Fein councillor JJ Magee hit out at those responsible after what he said had been a “night of death driving in the area”.

On Saturday PSNI Inspector Natalie McNally said: “Reports of anti-social driving, whether in stolen, uninsured, unregistered or even insured vehicles, should not and will not be tolerated.

“The drivers of these vehicles offer absolutely nothing but destruction and potential injury or death, not only to themselves, but to innocent people who may be unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”