A COUPLE who spent most of a weekend break in hospital with their severely handicapped son returned home to find their home had been plundered by raiders.

Michael Williams, 20, and his fiance Jane Keating, 22, were horrified to find two video players, a microwave, CD player, a benefit book and other personal documents had been stolen from their house in Broadgate, Darwen.

Dean, four, suffers from Cornelia De Lange Syndrome. He is the size of a 17 pound baby, has learning difficulties, a heart defect, asthma, digestive problems and other special needs.

The family had been to Butlins in Skegness but Dean was taken ill and needed hospital treatment part way through the holiday.

They were due to cash his £215 Disability Living Allowance this week and have been left struggling to make ends meet.

Jane said: "Dean gets Disability Living Allowance which is vital to make his life easier and help us care for him.

"I don't understand how somebody could take this away from him."

"We needed the money more than ever this week because Dean is due to start school at Dame Evelyn Fox in Blackburn. "The phone may be cut off because we can't pay the bill and we've had to borrow money from friends for essentials.

"A lot of it goes on taking him to and from hospital and I dread to think what it has been spent on."

The couple have reported the burglary to the social security office and the police want to hear from anybody with information about the crime.

Jane added: "I hope the people responsible feel guilty for what they have done to somebody as helpless as Dean.

"We have the rest of our lives to replace the material things but what really makes me sick is that they have made Dean suffer by taking his benefits."

Anyone with information about the crime can contact Darwen police on 01254 701777.

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