TEENAGE kidney patient Ian Finnie has been dealt a cruel blow, after thieves stole his computer games while he was being treated for a life-threatening condition.

More than £200 worth of computer games were stolen from the waiting room of Oxford's Churchill Hospital while 16-year-old Ian underwent his regular dialysis treatment.

Ian, from Penhill, suffers from a genetic kidney disorder that has led to kidney failure.

His fight against the disease, which he shares with his mother Fiona, was reported in the Evening Advertiser on Saturday.

The games had been left in a waiting room of the Renal Unit of the hospital.

Ian's mother Fiona said: "It is just awful that someone could steal something from someone who is obviously very sick.

"Ian has to spend numerous hours sitting on his own while he is on the dialysis machine. Because most of the other people being treated there are that much older, his Playstation helps keeps him entertained. It is a really cruel thing to do.

"We are asking anyone who has any information about this theft to let the police know."

She added that she hoped the person responsible would realise the misery they have caused and hand the games in to a police station.

Ian is currently recovering from an operation that he had on Monday at the Churchill Hospital to fit a tube in his stomach. This will allow him to undergo peritoneal dialysis overnight. The operation means he will have his dialysis treatment at home rather than having to travel to specialist renal centres in Swindon and Oxford three times a week.

His long-term health depends on the possibility of him having a kidney transplant, and consultants looking after him are currently waiting for a suitable organ to become available.

Fiona said: "It seems that Ian is recovering well from his treatment and we expect him to be back at home in days."

Regarding the theft of the computer games, a spokesperson from the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are sorry that Ian has had his computer games stolen. This was a very unfortunate incident."

Anyone with information should contact Swindon Police on 01793 528111.