Didcot crochet artist says she will not give up hobby after postbox topper set on fire

• ITV News Meridian's Nicki Woodcock reports

A crochet artist from Didcot says she's determined not to give up her hobby despite one of her postbox toppers being set on fire.

Rachel Crook has been creating the toppers since lockdown to brighten up the town and to raise money for charity.

Now she’s the town’s own answer to Banksy, known locally as ‘Yarnsy’.

However, she was left disheartened after discovering one of her creations had been vandalised outside Didcot’s delivery office.

Rachel Crook, crochet artist, said: “It’s quite disheartening, to see so much work just go to waste like that and to see somebody destroy it in such a harsh way.

"I’ve had toppers where people have taken little aspects of the topper off and taken it away with them and everything which you kind of get used to, you kind of expect when you put things out in the wild like that but to see somebody burn it in that manner, it was quite upsetting.”

She created four postbox toppers as part of Oxford’s first-ever art sculpture trail this year, raising funds for Sobell House Hospice.

“Generally speaking, my toppers are just to put a smile on the faces of the community, there’s nothing more to it than that," she added.

"But this particular one, because it was Sobell House, it’s quite close to my heart, my grandfather spent his last few days there with them.

"So I thought actually I’m gonna do a little bit of an extra push on this one… to try to raise additional funds for Sobell House as well.”

Rachel had considered giving up her street art but she’s been convinced to carry on and is planning her next project.

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