A KNITTER who has coined the name “the Banksy of Leigh” has gone global after creating an array of colourful hats for the postbox outside her home.

Linda Catling, who lives on Marine Parade, has created seven woolly hats so far - all after partially losing her sight during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Doctors were left racking their brains after the 74-year-old woke up one day last year and couldn’t see out of her left eye, but Linda was determined not to let her condition get in the way of her work.

Now Linda has been recognised across the world for her crafty skills in keeping everyone’s spirits high during the pandemic and has received messages from people around India, Australia and America.

She said: “I still can’t believe it, all this fuss over a bit knitting on top of a postbox a few doors down from your home.

“I became partially sighted last year, so this is such an achievement for me. I just woke up one day and it was like it, so of course it was a bit of a shock.

“I had brain scans in A&E and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, but nobody had a clue why my sight had gone like that and they still don’t even now. The right eye is keeping me going, and I’m determined not to give in.

“I’m also classed as extremely vulnerable and have been in my own lockdown most of the year, so it’s really nice to look out and watch people laughing and smiling at the postbox.”

She added: “It’s only taken 74 years to become famous, but it sort of just went crazy and I’ve had over 6,000 people liking it on Facebook. Apparently I’m now called the Banksy of Leigh.”

Linda, who has knitted since she was 15, first learnt her skills on the train while travelling with a friend from her old town of Stanford-le-Hope to London.

She continued: “My first postbox hat was in honour of the NHS and others I have done since include an autumn hat, a poppy hat which raised £50 for the Royal British Legion, a winter hat, a Christmas hat, and the last one was for New Years with a snowman and snow dog on it.

“The trouble with living on the seafront is it’s so windy, the snowman is so big I had to put trees behind it to stop it from blowing over.

“I have already planned a Valentines one next and then ones for Spring and Easter.”