AN AUNT accused by her sister of stealing charity cash raised in memory of her nephew has insisted: “I’m no thief”.

And Ailish Leigh, 41, said she had been left scared of going out after being targeted by residents who believed she had taken the money.

Ms Leigh said she had been attacked five times and the word ‘thief’ had been spray painted on her home in Accrington Road, Blackburn.

Police are now investigating the assaults – as well as the claim that Ms Leigh stole £830 of cash raised when she had her hair shaved off in memory of 22-month-old nephew Ethan Armstrong.

Ms Leigh was reported to police by her sister Gail Perkins, Ethan’s mum.

Ms Perkins last night gave a statement to officers.

Ms Perkins, of Green Street East, Darwen, said: “So many people have donated in good faith and I would hate to think the money does not go where it is so badly needed.

“I went to the police because I just want everything sorted out.”

The charity head shave was held at Blackburn’s Liquid and Envy night-club in Blackburn last month.

Ms Leigh said despite her hopes that she would raise about £900, the event only brought in £70.

That money has been handed over to the Ethan Armstrong Forget Me Not fund.

But rumours spread in Intack and Whitebirk that she had refused to hand over the cash.

Ms Leigh said she has been punched to the floor, hit from behind and verbally abused in a series of assaults in the last week, the latest of which saw a stranger punch her in the back of her head in the street near her home on Tuesday.

Paint has also been thrown at her home as well as the spray-painted word ‘thief’.

Ms Leigh said: “I am so scared I am not even going out at the moment.

“It is a tight-knit community around here and there are all so many rumours flying around I just want to set the record straight.

“I handed over all of the money that I raised. It’s not as much as I hoped it would be but the fact is that I have not stolen any money.”

Police confirmed they were investigating the assaults, vandalism and the allegation of theft.

Ethan died from leukaemia in 2006.

He was diagnosed at five-months old. After months of treatment, and coming close to beating the disease, Ethan suffered a relapse.

The family made the heart-breaking decision to turn off the life support machine when he was just 22-months old.

The Ethan Armstrong Forget Me Not Fund is raising cash for leukaemia research at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The total currently stands at £2,400.