A vulnerable pensioner who has received more than £227,000 in donations after he was mugged outside his home has personally thanked the fundraiser who made it possible.
Alan Barnes, who is 4ft 6in, frail and visually impaired, suffered a broken collarbone when he was shoved over outside his home in Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, last Sunday.
The 67-year-old has for the first time met beautician Katie Cutler, who set up the Help Alan Barnes online donation page after seeing reports of the attack
During the get-together at Mr Barnes' sister's house, Ms Cutler presented him with chocolates and a card, and he told the 21-year-old she would be a friend for life.
"I've heard of fundraising for charities but I've only got a fractured collarbone, I didn't expect that sort of response," he told the BBC.
"Thank you doesn't really seem to answer it, does it?"
Ms Cutler set up the donation page on Go Fund Me with an initial target of just £500 but now over 17,500 well-wishers have raised more than £227,000 in just over two days.
Mr Barnes has suggested that he may use the money to move somewhere new.
He said: "I'm not going back there, I decided that instant I wouldn't go back to that house.
"You would remember it every time you went past that foot path, wouldn't you?"
Ms Cutler said that the success of the campaign showed "there are so many lovely people out there".
"This person that hurt Alan is just a minority," she added.
Donations came flooding in to the site - at http://www.gofundme.com/l0dt9o - after visitors were told that Mr Barnes is too afraid to return home.
Ms Cutler wrote: "I was so upset that anyone could target a disabled pensioner and be so cruel.
"We can't take away what has happened but with a little donation we can make the future a prettier one and help towards the cost of his new home. Thank you all."
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