Wales fan raises thousands for crying German supporter mocked online

A Wales football fan has raised thousands of pounds for a German fan mocked online after England’s victory over Germany at Wembley.

The girl was the subject of abuse after she was pictured crying on television and on the big screen at the stadium.

Since launching an online campaign to show that "not everyone from the UK is horrible", Joel Hughes has so far raised more than £9,000, after initially setting a £500 target.

The web developer is also trying to find the girl’s family so he can hand over the money.

Hughes said the abuse of the girl is "pretty horrible - to put it mildly."

He added: "I can’t stand seeing that kind of bullying online.""So I thought I would try to do something. A small thing. Not something that would change the world, or change the minds of those who wrote nasty stuff about the little girl. But something nonetheless."And if it means we can put a smile on that girl’s face, then job done."Joel is desperately trying track down the girl so he can present her with the money.He said: "I’ve been blown away by the response,” he says. “Many people seem to get that this is a lot more than just about a girl crying."This is about empathy and about taking a stand against the negativity out there.“It’s all been very positive and there has been lots of interest, but if we don’t find the parents, or they don’t want to come forward, we will donate the money to a good cause most closely aligned with the spirit of the campaign."