A disabled woman says she has been comforted by the kindness of strangers, following our story last week about her being the target of sickening abuse.

We reported how Sandra Reed and her daughter Emma, 21, claimed they were the victims of a campaign of bullying.

The pair, who live together in Willesborough, are familiar figures on the streets of Ashford. They are known by some as the Buggy Bashers, due to claims they hog the pavement and run into people while riding their mobility scooters.

But after we published their story, they say people have been approaching them to offer their support.

Sandra, 45, said: “We’ve had people coming up to us in the street, telling us that they’ve seen the story.

“A lot of them said how disgusting they think it is, and that we should just ignore the nasty comments.

“Last week we both felt like we were totally alone, but this week, we’ve got a lot more confidence.

“I’m not so worried about going out now, and Emma is feeling a bit better, so long as we stick together.”

The abuse had particularly taken its toll on Emma, who said she was left feeling suicidal after the death of her father, Gerry Wilkins, and the sustained comments.

Matters came to a head after a mass of offensive messages and images about the two were posted on the new Spotted In Ashford Kent Facebook group.

But while the support of some Ashfordians has been welcomed by Sandra, she has also suggested that she and Emma are not alone in their plight.

She added: “We’ve had other disabled people telling us they’ve experienced similar comments.

“I’ve also seen that more nasty things have been said on the Facebook group about us.

“I think it’s horrible, but I’m learning to ignore it. My message to other people is that if you learn to ignore bullies, they seem to lose interest.”