Well-wishers donate more than £20,000 to disabled 4ft 6in pensioner targeted by mugger as he took out his bins

Well-wishers have donated more than £20,000 to a disabled pensioner who was attacked outside his house by a cowardly mugger.

Alan Barnes - who was born with growth problems and is now partially sighted, weighs just six stone and is 4ft 6in tall - was attacked as he put his bin outside his home in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.

Reports of the heartless attack - which left Mr Barnes with a broken collar bone - have led to an influx of donations from outraged locals and well-wishers around the country.

The donations came after beautician Katie Cutler was moved to set up the Help Alan Barnes page on the Go Fund Me website.She 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.'

The aim was to raise £500 but that was quickly passed and the total topped £20,000 today. The page has also received more than 7,000 shares on Facebook.

When told about the fund, Mr Barnes said: 'I would really just like to say thank you to everyone, I really didn't expect it. 

'When I was told about the fund, I was totally surprised as I didn't expect anything like that. I'm so grateful and I just want to say a big thank you, it's such a lovely thing to do.

'I have heard of people setting up funds for charities but not just for what happened to me. I'm overwhelmed and I just want to say thank you.'

Nearly 2,000 people have donated using the page, many of whom left messages of support for Mr Barnes.

Nadeem Inayat wrote on the donation page: 'I was very upset to have read that such a defenceless and frail old man was left feeling afraid to go back to his home that for all intents and purposes should be his haven and source of safety.

'I hope someone reads some of these comments to Alan and let him know that he is a very much loved man.'

Frail Mr Barnes was pushing his bin from the back of his home to the front at around 6.30pm on Sunday night when he was targeted. He was knocked to the ground, breaking his collar bone as he landed.

The mugger demanded money and searched Mr Barnes' pockets before realising his stricken victim was not carrying cash and fleeing.

Mr Barnes stumbled to the house next door where his neighbour called his sister Carol Hill, who rushed over and took her brother to hospital, where X-rays revealed the fractured collar bone.

Vulnerable pensioner Alan Barnes was victim of cowardly attack

Mr Barnes, a committed Christian, said: 'Someone just jumped on me. It all happened in a very short time. I would like to see him caught because he might do it again.

'I didn't see him coming. He must have jumped on me from a back garden.

'He pushed me down and put his hands in my pockets, then told me to give him my money, but I didn't have any.

'I shouted 'help' and then he ran off. As soon as he had gone I got up, and I knew I had been hurt.'

They must have seen Alan as an easy target. Whoever has done this has no morals at all to attack someone so vulnerable

Mr Barnes's sister Carol Hill 

Mr Barnes's broken collar-bone will take nearly two months to heal, in which time he will need special care.

He added: 'I'm just frustrated now that I can't do anything for myself. They say it will take four to six weeks for me to recover.

'I'm trying to do the best I can. I can manage to get a bath if someone puts the water in. But I can't tie my shoelaces.'

Ms Hill is furious that anyone would stoop so low as to attack her frail brother.

The 55-year-old said: 'The police seem to think it was a random opportunist attack. But they must have seen Alan as an easy target.

'I was furious. Whoever has done this has no morals at all to attack someone so vulnerable.'

Mr Barnes is well known in the area around his home and is an active member of the congregation at his local Methodist church. He fills his days taking long walks around the area.

He is known as a skilled mathematician and impresses youngsters by being able to quickly work out exactly how many days a person has been alive after finding out when they were born.

Mr Barnes is now too frightened to return to his home, and Ms Hill is helping her brother look for new accommodation.

His sister believes he was targeted because he is an 'easy target'. Police are appealing for information

Detectives hunting the would-be robber have branded the crime 'disgraceful'.

Det Con 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.'

Locals have launched a fund to help Mr Barnes and have so far raised more than £1,400, which they plan to give to the pensioner to make his house more secure or to help him move home.

Anyone with any information should target Northumbria Police quoting log number 1180 25/01/15 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.