'I was called ugly because of my wheelchair' - The Plymouth Paralympian fighting back against web trolls

An award-winning Paralympic athlete has told ITV News she has been subjected to a torrent of online abuse - but says it has made her more determined to use technology to spread her message of hope.

Doaa Shayea, from Plymouth, has launched a YouTube channel which she hopes will change people's perception of disability and inspire a younger generation.

Doaa was born with spina bifida, and says her disability led to struggles with her mental health.

Doaa said: "I've not always been this confident, I haven't always been able to speak about personal things that have happened to me, comments and things people have done that made me literally want to lock myself in my room and never leave the house because I'm so different to everyone else.

She added: "I've had that I'm ugly, the way that I look because I'm different it makes me ugly.

"The years of it going on and on, literally you just build that thicker skin and you can handle whatever gets thrown at you."

As a teenager, Doaa won awards for her sporting achievements - she even carried the the Queen's Commonwealth Games baton through Plymouth in 2014 - and now she wants to use her profile to inspire youngsters living with a disability.

Despite her positive outlook, Doaa feels there is still a long way to go in our attitudes towards disability.