Luton & Dunstable Hospital has launched a wheelchair amnesty, after three quarters of its last batch disappeared.

Last year the hospital bought 100 new wheelchairs at a cost of £30,000 - but only 25 per cent of them remain.

And cash being spent on replacing the wheelchairs is taking away much needed funds from front line patient care.

Despite increased security and more CCTV cameras, the wheelchairs, which cost £300 a piece, are stolen by thieves or simply borrowed and not returned.

In an attempt to hold on to its supplies, the L&D installed a metal bar underneath each wheelchair and attached a 6ft tall metal pole of the back of the chairs to prevent them being folded up to fit in a car boot.

The hospital also tried chaining them up like supermarket trolleys, so each wheelchair was chained to the wall with £1 slots to release them.

But no method has yet been successful and determined thieves continue to steal the wheelchairs.

An L&D spokeswoman said: "We are now calling a wheelchair amnesty and appeal to anyone who may have one of our wheelchairs - perhaps it was simply borrowed to get a disabled relative home - to please return the wheelchairs to the L&D as soon as possible."

Luton & Dunstable Hospital