A FEARFUL mother has been forced to move her daughter to a safe house after hundreds of copies of a hoax letter were sent around her home town accusing her of being a sex offender.

Single mother Sam Sawdon has been left distraught by the "malicious rumours" circulated around her home in Eston, Middlesbrough, on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old was told by a friend about the forged letter.

In fear of reprisals, Miss Sawdon has moved her five-year-old daughter to another address.

She said: "This is a maliciously planned assault. The accusations are completely false and now I feel like a prisoner in my own home.

"I've had people staring through the window and I'm scared for the safety of my daughter. I just hope they catch who did this."

Redcar and Cleveland Council was inundated with hundreds of calls from worried residents who had received a letter typed on photocopied council notepaper.

The letter, which claims Miss Sawdon has "recently been added to the sex offenders' register", is a fake, says the council.

Cleveland Police are investigating and officers are searching through security TV footage for two women suspected of delivering copies of the letter.

Council chief executive, Colin Moore, said: "This is a false and cruel hoax. We are investigating this as a matter of urgency because this is extremely nasty.

"It could lead to disorder if someone believes it to be an official letter."

A witness has reported seeing a woman aged 20 to 25, with straight brown hair, posting the letters.