A West Lothian war hero who was injured in a bomb blast in Northern Ireland has hit out after callous vandals threw paint stripper all over his specially-adapted car.
Joe Paterson (64), who also served in the Falklands War, says he is furious his was the only car in the street that was targeted.
Joe and his wife Christine were devastated to find the Motability vehicle had been covered in paint stripper just days after Christmas - causing hundreds of pounds of damage.
Insurance assessors say the rear passenger side of his car will have to stripped right back to the metal and any plastic will have to be replaced before the car is resprayed.
Joe, from East Calder, who is also the official photographer for Livingston Football Club’s Women’s Team, said: “I was absolutely raging
“It’s the fact that somebody has done this, not to my car, but to a Motability car I’ve been given and paid for through the War Pension
“I thought why don’t you come and see me and instead destroy the car. I would have loved them to come and see me.”
Joe has been told the car will need to spend around two weeks in the garage while the damage is repaired.
He continued: “I’ve been told it’ll have to be stripped right down any plastics will have to go too.
“The wing mirror on the passenger side also has to go because it’s been so badly damaged.
“It’s insured but we’ll still have to pay the excess.”
Joe served in the Royal Marines from 1974 to 1983 in Northern Ireland and in the Falklands War.
He was discharged after suffering a head and foot injury in a bomb blast while on foot patrol in Northern Ireland and suffers from PTSD.
As a result he needs a specially-adapted automatic car as he has pins and rods in his foot.
Joe said police officers have taken the glue container away for finger print and DNA testing and hopes this will result in the culprit being caught.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Enquiries are ongoing following a report of a vandalism to a car parked on Firbank Grove, East Calder, on Wednesday, December 28.”
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