A Deal artist was devastated after her Christmas present to Paul O’Grady was sent back unopened and damaged.

Debra Green, 51, of Lister Close, sent the TV presenter a painting she had completed of Lily Savage and Dame Edna and wrapped it up in Christmas paper as a special gift.

She sent it to ITV's The Paul O’Grady Show, only to have the parcel returned a couple of weeks later with the wrapping paper shredded and her letter opened but the painting had not been touched.

Mrs Green said: “It cost me £27 to send it off so to get it sent back without it even being opened is horrible. It’s in an awful state as well, it’s really hurt my feelings."

Mrs Green said she sent the paintings through recorded delivery. This means someone must have signed for the package at the ITV London address.

Mrs Green is a full-time carer for her husband Paul, 55, who was paralysed in a car accident when he was just 17.

The couple have always been fans of The Paul O’Grady show, featuring the Aldington comic.

She said: “We always watch his show. He’s brilliant and this seemed so out of character. I was really shocked when I got it back like that.

“This could have happened to other people. It’s just not very nice.”

“It cost me £27 to send it off so to get it sent back without it even being opened is horrible. It’s in an awful state as well, it’s really hurt my feelings" - Debra Green

Mrs Green is well known for her time spent as one of the 2,400 people to stand on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2009, as part of Antony Gormley’s One and Other project.

She stood on the plinth with her husband’s gold wheelchair to represent her interpretation of disability during her one-hour stint.

A spokeswoman for The Paul O’Grady Show said: “The Paul O’Grady Show has a dedicated team who deal with all mail from viewers and we have no record of receiving this package.

“Paul and the team treat all such mail with the utmost care and will be looking further into what happened on this occasion.”

For the full story read this week's East Kent Mercury.