A disabled pensioner who has been fishing for more than 60 years had his equipment stolen by a thief who snatched it from his mobility scooter.

Leslie Martin, aged 64, was in Delph Road, Brierley Hill, near the Stourbridge Canal when the offender struck. He had just finished a morning’s fishing when a man snatched his holdall.

It contained his tackle, fishing pole and fold-away chair. The thief ran off along the canal tow path.

Mr Martin, who requires a scooter or walking frame to get around, says he cannot afford to replace the goods and has now lost the one pleasure he enjoyed in life.

“Because I am disabled, I can’t do that much but fishing is one of the few things I can manage and is something I really enjoy,” he said.

“I have been going fishing ever since I was four-years-old but I never thought to get my equipment insured – it’s not something you would ever expect to lose.”

Mr Martin, of Quarry Bank, estimates his equipment is worth between £200 and £300.

“It would cost a lot of money for me to buy a new pole and tackle,” he said.

Anyone with information or who is offered fishing equipment for sale locally should contact Stourbridge police on 0845 113 5000.