An A&E clerk who is training for her first half marathon said she has received cruel taunts from strangers and is often called 'fatty' when she is out running.

Helen Merrick, 46, from South Ashford, has even had people come up to her face to unleash a torrent of abuse.

The mum, who will run the Hastings half marathon this Sunday, said she is frustrated with the bullying comments because she is just trying to do something positive.

She said: "People point and laugh and call me fat.

“I don’t always hear what they say because I have my headphones in but I often hear a car beeping and then someone shouting something at me.

"One time, when I was running by the cinema, this girl who was roughly in her 20s came running straight into my face waving her arms and mocking me.

"I was shocked and it scared the life out of me.

"I find it really frustrating because all I am trying to do is mind my own business.

"Yes, I’m a fat girl running, but I’m not bothering anyone and I’m trying to do something positive

"I just do not understand why they do it."

Helen began training for the event eight months ago and has lost an impressive 2.5 stone - dropping from a size 22 to a size 16.

She added "I wanted to do something that I have never done or even attempted to do before. I had never run in my life.

"I thought I need to do something because I’m going to die on my sofa and when I first started training I struggled to walk around Victoria Park.

"Now, I can run 11 miles and I’m proud of what I have achieved.

"So it’s frustrating to get nasty comments when I’m out training and I just don’t understand it.

"I have met some lovely people who are encouraging and say ‘you go girl’ but is just so frustrating when people tell me to ‘go home fatty’ or ‘go get some cake.’

"I would rather applaud someone trying to do something positive than try to bring them down."

Helen is raising money for Bloodwise, a charity that supports cancer research, in honour of her mum Wendy Merchant, who is 10 years in recovery from Leukaemia.

To support Helen visit her justgiving page.