A disabled pensioner who was violently mugged outside his home has spoken of his amazement after well-wishers raised more than £220,000 for him to move house.
Alan Barnes, 67, who is 4ft 6in and visually impaired, suffered a broken collarbone when he was attacked on his doorstep in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, last Sunday.
The attacker rifled through his pockets after shoving him to the ground and demanding money, but ran off when his frail victim called for help.
After reports of the attack, a local beautician, Katie Cutler, set up a fundraising page aiming to raise £500 – but donations quickly flooded in from 17,000 well-wishers as far afield as Canada, Holland and New Zealand.
Donations topped £220,000 on Sunday – 48 hours after the page was launched – as Barnes said he planned to use the money to buy a new house.
The pensioner, who has lived with disabilities all his life after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant, lived independently in the Low Fell area of Gateshead but was too afraid to return home after the attack.
“I’m not going back there, I decided that instant I wouldn’t go back to that house,” he said. “You would remember it every time you went past that footpath, wouldn’t you?”
Speaking to Newcastle’s Chronicle, Barnes said he was “absolutely amazed” at the donations and said he was feeling okay, describing his broken collarbone as merely an inconvenience. He added: “I’m really grateful and a thank you doesn’t seem to be enough for how I feel. I’ve heard of people getting get-well cards but not this.”
He was due to meet Cutler, who has been nicknamed the “Angel of the North” for her fundraising efforts, for the first time on Sunday. “It doesn’t feel real, I’m so over the moon,” the 21-year-old said. “I think now he could probably buy a nice little bungalow for himself with a nice little garden.
“Also I’ve had people contact me with regards to donating kitchens, bathrooms, carpets, offering plumbing services and electrical services, so I think he is going to have a nice place to live.”
Barnes is a popular figure in Low Fell and is renowned for being able to quickly calculate how many days old someone is from their date of birth.
As of 3pm on Sunday, more than 17,000 people had pledged donations from £5 to £1,000, taking the total to £220,760. One well-wisher, donating £500, wrote: “Your attackers are cowards. They deserve nothing more than being locked up and having the key thrown away.”
Another, Douglas Smith, gave £250 and said: “From a Scotsman in Singapore. This situation brings tears to my eyes. I really wish you all the best in the future Alan, you’re a star. And well done Katie for highlighting this, you’re also a star.”
Northumbria police have issued an appeal for anyone with information about the attacker.
DC Chris Neil, of Gateshead CID, said: “This was a cowardly assault on a vulnerable man who wasn’t able to defend himself. His disability means he is partially sighted and quite short, and it’s disgraceful that someone would target him.
“The victim is quite a well-known man in the area and this has left him extremely distressed.
“We’re doing everything we can to trace the suspect and I would urge anyone who saw this attempted robbery or who has information about the person responsible to get in touch.”
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Mugged pensioner tells of amazement at well-wishers’ £220,000 donations
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