An autistic boy whose Christmas presents were stolen by burglars had a smile put back on his face - thanks to local police officers.
Little Harry Horrocks has autism and “had his whole world turned upside down” by the devastating burglary at his Burnage home back in November.
His mum Rachel said the impact of the raid would have knock-on effects “far worse than anyone can imagine”.
“It’s thrown everything off for him,” she previously told the Manchester Evening News.
“He’s very strict on his routine, everything has to happen at the right time and be in a set place.
“He won’t return home because someone has been in his room, someone has touched all his things and moved them around.”
The neighbourhood policing team were so moved by the Horrocks' story that they clubbed together to buy presents for Harry, seven, and his four-year-old sister.
“In this job sometimes you spend the worst of times with people and often see the negative before a positive, but on some occasions, like yesterday for some of our neighbourhood officers they had the chance to put a smile on a young boy's face, giving him some toys from GMP and MCC,” they wrote in a moving message posted to the GMP Fallowfield, Withington, Levenshulme and Burnage Facebook page.
“Harry is a 7 year old boy, with autism, who had his whole world turned upside down following a burglary at his home in Burnage in November.
“All of the Christmas presents were stolen from the house, along with a lot of items of jewellery of sentimental value belonging to his mother, a single mum working full time trying to provide as best she can for Harry, and his 4 year old sister.”
Burglars stole jewellery worth £500, left to single mum Rachel by her grandmother, when her house at Alston Gardens was ransacked in the early hours.
They also took LEGO, My Little Pony toys, Frozen jewellery and hair boxes that she had been saving up to buy for months.
Careless thieves forced entry to the back door of the property and helped themselves to gifts stored under the bed and in wardrobes.
They unwrapped each individual present before hurling the wrapping paper all over the floor and bed.
“I’m a single parent with two kids and I work full-time. I work hard to get the stuff they want,” Rachel said previously.
Reports of crime, or any suspected handling of stolen goods, should be reported to police on 101, or via Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
