A DISABLED pensioner fears he won’t get a £5,000 payout for a faulty mobility scooter because the Paddock-based business which sold it has closed.

Thomas Somerville, 83, of Crosland Moor, bought a mobility scooter from Drivability in Paddock more than 12 months ago.

But when it started cutting out just six months after the purchase he became locked in a legal battle to have it fixed or replaced.

He took the matter to Huddersfield County Court which ordered £5,000 to be paid to him last month. But the shop in The Triangle has now closed down, leaving him worried about whether he will ever be paid.

Mr Somerville told The Examiner: “I went down there and the shop is just empty.

“I don’t know what’s gone on but I need this money which the courts have ordered is paid because I have had to buy another scooter because the one they sold me was so unreliable.”

Mr Somerville added: “The first time it cut out I just thought it was the battery.

“I took it back to Drivability in Paddock where I bought it and they said they would look at it.

“A few days later I got it back and I was told they had put new batteries on it which would fix the problem.”

But despite the new batteries the problem continued, leaving Mr Somerville reluctant to use it in case he became stranded.

He said: “If I couldn’t go on hills then it was no good. How could I go out on it knowing it could just stop at any time?”

Mr Somerville repeatedly went back to the shop but was eventually told his warranty was invalid because the battery pack had been tampered with.

He continued: “I wouldn’t be able to touch the batteries because I have leg replacements and can’t bend down.

“There is no way someone could have tampered with it as it is stored in my locked garage.”

Desperate to resolve the situation, he took on a solicitor and paid £800 before deciding to pursue the matter himself to avoid a further £3,000 in fees.

He said: “This company have been given every opportunity to bring about a solution to this problem.”

No-one at Drivability could be contacted by The Examiner but the company has not been listed as dissolved with Companies House.

Have you been affected by Drivability closing? Contact reporter Louise Cooper on 01484 437769.