A blind woman who was conned out her life savings says she has been overwhelmed by the kind offers she has received from Telegraph & Argus readers.

Irene Barr was left in tears after a "calm and friendly" conwoman knocked on the door of her West Bowling home claiming to be from Bradford Council and then stole her cash.

Since the shocking story appeared in last Friday's T&A our office has been inundated with offers to buy Irene the vacuum cleaner she had been saving to buy. One man even offered to give her a Hoover Turbo Junior he had been left by an aunt.

Miss Barr said: "I can't believe people can be so kind. I was devastated when my money was taken but people have been lovely to me since it happened."

Miss Barr was presented a brand new Dyson cylindrical vacuum cleaner by Sid Singh. Mr Singh, a director with G and N Car Sales in Cleckheaton, said: "I was horrified when heard what had happened to Irene. I just wanted to help and cheer her up a bit.

"How can someone do that to a blind person? They should be absolutely ashamed of themselves."

Miss Barr has been blind since 1972 after a build up of pressure in her brain caused her sight to fail. She is also fighting gangrene in her foot.

The conwoman sweet-talked Irene into letting her into her home saying she was from social services and had come to arrange a cleaner to help her.

She then said she needed to go upstairs, where she rifled through Irene's belongings, taking hundreds of pounds of her life savings.

The cash had been scrimped from Miss Barr's meagre living allowance in the hope of buying a new vacuum cleaner.

Rebecca and Jonathan White, of Keighley, also sent money to help make up for what was taken.