Left hand electric sliding door

Bit of a disaster,someone tried to open the sliding door this week by wrenching on the handle before my wife could explain it was electric.The door worked OK for a couple of times then would only part way and eventually became impossible to move either way. Luckily there was a mechanic on hand to at least close the door for travel and we have to clamber over the front seats to get "stuff" from the rear. Before the door was persuaded to close I noticed on the centre slider, a thin metal cable which went round a bracket which disappeared each end of the the door. I assume the internals of the door contain mechanisms[i.e.electric motor which winds the cable too and fro to open and close the door.

I have no real desire to have an electric side door if this is likely to happen again. The cable connecting point to the door appears to be via a bracket bolted to the central door slider, by 2 x 10mm bolts.I will then cut the cable front and rear and either pull out or push in the cable. Any comments please either with horror or other comments!!