Batman came to the rescue of a young disabled woman who has been left feeling lonely and isolated as her illnesses progress.

Sammy Armstrong, 27, of Hethersgill, started a fundraising appeal for a new wheelchair after becoming trapped in her own home.

Suffering from a series of complicated conditions, these days she is rarely able to get out of bed, and never leaves the house.

After hearing her story, Cumbria Superheroes jumped into action - sending Batman round to cheer up Sammy and her family.

A self-confessed comic book geek, Sammy - who wore her Batgirl t-shirt for the visit - loves watching superhero movies with sister Emily.

The pair used to go to the cinema regularly, but these days Emily waits for the DVD so that Sammy doesn't miss out.

Mum Lesley Goodall said: "We had an absolutely fantastic time. Sammy is a geek, she's always watched superhero films and collected the figures, so getting a visit from Batman himself was huge.

"When I opened the door and Batman was stood there it was amazing. He was tall with the square jaw and even spoke with the accent. It really was him.

"Sammy's health has been getting worse so it's been really tough, but this really made her smile. It gave us all the lift we needed."

Sammy's illnesses include Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which affects her joints, mobility and leaves her in constant pain, and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which causes extreme fatigue, dizziness and severe digestive problems.

Batman's visit was organised by Barry Henderson, who contacted Cumbria Superheroes, after hearing about her plight.

Since the visit, Batman has been using his Facebook page to appeal for donations to Sammy's wheelchair appeal.

To date she has raised £3,500 towards the specialist chair, but needs to raise a total of between £12,000 and £15,000.

His post, which has been widely shared, described Sammy as a "prisoner in her own home" and urged people to donate even £1.

Sammy's goal is to see the new Deadpool 2 movie at the cinema with Emily when it is released next year. But this will only be possible if she has the new wheelchair.

Cumbria Superheroes are supporting her campaign - and have promised to send their Deadpool with her if she manages it.

Visit www.gofundme.com/SammysWheelsOfFreedom .