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A cash-strapped mum who appealed online for unwanted presents for her son's sixth birthday has been inundated with gifts from her local community.

Brooke Webb, from Crawley, posted on a local Facebook page about the difficult time her family was going through financially due to the pandemic.

She said she "felt like the worst parent in the world" for not being able to afford presents for her son Brody.

Kind-hearted locals have given toys, a cake, balloons and football tickets.

The mum-of-two told ´óÏó´«Ã½ South East Today she felt compelled to post the appeal on the Spotted Crawley Facebook group because she was "losing sleep" with worry.

"I felt sick that I didn't have any spare money to buy my son anything for his birthday," she said.

Her post read: "Myself and my husband have both been put on reduced hours at work. And with furlough coming to an end we are looking at a big pay cut.

"We have been barely getting through the months as it is and now I'm starting to panic.

"It's my son's sixth birthday in a few weeks time and we now can not afford to buy him any gifts. I feel like the worst parent in the world."

She asked for "age-related unwanted gifts", offering to "pay a small price" but had not expected the response.

"It's been amazing," she said.

Cake maker Lauraine Smart has provided a cake for Brody's special day.

She said: "The thought of having a little one disappointed on their birthday, it's not a nice feeling.

"If you can just make something as simple as a cake and make him smile, then that makes me feel good."

Ms Webb said: "It was quite hard for me to come forward and ask pretty much strangers in the community if they would help my son but they did and I'm so grateful."