Vandalised Pride banners turned into handbag

Judith Whiston says she won the bag at a raffle, which helps raise money for Congleton Pride

A Cheshire woman has turned a town's vandalised Pride banner into a handbag, to transform something done "in hate" into something positive.

Abby Smith, who works as an analytical scientist, said she had made other items previously and used it as a hobby to unwind outside of work.

Last month, Congleton Pride bosses said repeated damage to its banners had caused "fear and apprehension".

Ms Smith said the event committee had retrieved one of the vandalised banners and she had suggested repurposing it.

Richard Walton, event lead for Congleton Pride, said he believed it was just a minority in the area that were responsible for the problems they had faced.

"If members of the LGBTQ community have experienced that bullying for a lot of their life, it just brings back really negative memories," he said.

The bag was put forward as a raffle prize during the event last Saturday.

"I didn't want it to go to waste, and I thought it would be a very good way of showing that we can take what was done in hate and turn it into something positive," Ms Smith said.

"I created the pattern and based it off a Mk VII gas mask bag - because I'm a very big fan of Indiana Jones – and I created the pattern and sewed them up.

"It went fine through the sewing machine, it was quite therapeutic."

The Mk VII is one of the accessories Harrison Ford's character carries with him in the Indiana Jones movies.

"It's very rewarding turning what would have gone into landfill into something which has raised money for Pride," says Abby Smith, who made the bag

"It's very rewarding turning what would have gone into landfill into something which has raised money for Pride and spreading the word of Pride," Ms Smith added.

"I'm so glad I spent the time doing it."

She said she still had some remaining material which she planned to use to make wallets.

The bag was won by Judith Whiston, who said she had bought five raffle tickets and felt very lucky to win it.