A gay woman, persecuted by people in her community, is preparing to help others in the same situation.

As reported in The Northern Echo last month, Kirsty Lord and her partner, Samatha Dewhurst, have suffered verbal attacks and their Darlington home has been vandalised since they moved in last May.

The couple decided to go public about their plight when graffiti was daubed on the home they share with Ms Dewhurst's five-year-old daughter.

Now Ms Lord, 30, has joined support group Women on Women (WOW) which offers help and support to lesbian women in the area.

She will be taking over the group's news letter and new website and hopes to be able to offer advice and support to those who find themselves victimised because of their sexuality.

She said: "I wanted something good to come out of what had happened to us. "I want to give advice and support to women who have gone through similar things to us.

"Just because we refuse to hide our relationship we get all this abuse and the same thing is happening to other people."