A DISABLED woman became the victim of what police have branded a "hate crime" as she waited at Leasowe station.

44-year-old Jane Crawley was sitting on her mobility scooter waiting for level crossing barriers to open when she heard shouting and abuse coming from behind her.

And she was shocked when a man in his 20s got out of a nearby car and picked up handfuls of horse manure from the ground.

The mum-of-three was unable to defend herself as he stuffed the muck down her top and in her hair.

Police say they are treating the incident extremely seriously: "People who carry out hate crimes should be left in no doubt that their behaviour is not tolerated."

Jane told the Globe: "It was awful. I had heard a bit of shouting and general lairy behaviour a bit further down the road but I ignored it and kept my head down.

"Next thing I know is, a man jumps out of the car waiting near me and attacks me in this disgusting manner with horse manure.

"There were other people in the car but they just sat there and watched, laughing at me."

Jane, a former dancer, lives with a string of medical conditions including epilepsy and angina, and has suffered three strokes in recent years.

She relies on her mobility scooter to get around due to regular blood clots in her left leg.

On the day of the incident, Jane was travelling from her sister's Leasowe home to see her boyfriend in Woodchurch.

But now she finds it difficult to leave the house and is reluctant to be on her own.

Jane said: "This has left me absolutely traumatised and I hate going out on my own. I don't know why these people think it's funny to target a disabled person, maybe it gives them a kick?

"How would they like it if someone did this to their mother or grandmother? There is something wrong with these type of people and it has got to stop."

Police are now appealing for witnesses of the incident, which happened at around 5pm, on Monday, August 16, to come forward or for anyone who recognises the man in the CCTV image to contact officers.

Detective Constable Andy Kerr, from Wirral Sigma Team, said: "This was a busy time of day and there were a lot of people around at the time of this incident, which was an extremely distressing and unpleasant experience for the victim.

"We are appealing for anyone with information and in particular the occupants of a yellow Fiat 500 and a white transit van which were in the area at the time to contact us."

He added: "We treat incidents of this nature extremely seriously. People who carry out hate crimes should be left in no doubt that their behaviour is not tolerated and that robust action will be taken to ensure offenders are arrested and prosecuted for their actions."

The attacker is white, in his early to mid-20s, between 6ft 2in and 6ft 4ins, of slim build with short dark hair. He was wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and white trainers.

Anyone with any information should call Merseyside Police on 0151 777 2612, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.