A West Kingsdown Paralympic athlete “thought he was going mad” when his stolen wheelchair “bizarrely” turned-up at his mum’s home in Meopham.

John Smith’s hopes of competing in Rio were thrown into jeopardy last Wednesday when he woke to realise his custom-made racing chair had been stolen from a van outside his house in Neal Road.

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John Smith competes in an event

The 26-year-old, who trains at Gravesend’s Cyclopark, told News Shopper that he would be unable to compete in the Paralympics unless his £5,000 chair – which is only worth £20 in scrap – was returned to him.

Speaking after the disappearance of the chair he said: “If I don’t get the chair back, I won’t be going, it’s that simple. Without it, I’m nothing, I’m not a wheelchair racer.”

Thankfully, the athlete, who was paralysed after being shot in the spine when he was 16 years old, has been reunited with his chair after it was left anonymously outside his mum’s home on Friday.

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The wheelchair pictured following it's return

Mr Smith, who is ranked number two in the world, just behind his training partner and six-times gold medallist David Weir, said: “My mum has been away so I went to do a routine check on her house, as I drove up I could see it glinting in the sun.

“My first thought was that I was going completely mad, I was thinking ‘this has stressed me out so much that I am actually seeing the chair’.

“At first I was suspicious, I thought someone was playing a trick on me.

“It’s just a huge sigh of relief – I don’t want to know who took it or why they took it. I’m just thankful someone returned it to me instead of dumping it in a bush.”

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John Smith. Picture: Kat Skeldon

The racer, who received an email confirming his place in Team GB last Tuesday, described both the theft and return of the chair as “bizarre”.

He added: “When it went it was like magic, there was no damage to the van, it just disappeared.

“It returned the same way, completely anonymously, it’s bizarre.”

Mr Smith’s chair was only slightly damaged despite being stolen – and has now been repaired.

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Mike Stevens, Interim CEO for Cyclopark, Gravesend, with ambassador and John Smith

The former amateur boxer will compete in the T54 marathon in Rio – his first Paralympic Games – and has thanked all those who helped to find the chair after a Facebook post appealing for its return was shared 570 times.

He said: “Thank you to all my friends and family and everyone in the community for coming together and really helping out with getting it returned to me.

“Thank you to all of those who were willing to help raise money for a replacement.”

Two 18-year-old men and a 16-year-old boy have been arrested in connection with the theft and bailed until August 16 and 17 pending further enquiries.

A Kent Police spokesman said: “The wheelchair has now been returned to its rightful owner and we would like to thank everyone who assisted with our appeal to help find it.

“The victim is part of a Great Britain racing team and requires it to compete in upcoming events.”