Susan Boyle Targeted By Abusive Gang Near Her Home

Susan Boyle has been the victim of abuse by a gang near her home in Scotland, it has been reported.

According to The Mirror, the ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ singer - who has Asperger’s syndrome - has regularly been hounded by around 15 local youths, who have followed her, shouting insulting names at her as well as using other intimidating tactics.

In addition to verbal abuse, one witness described seeing a bus Susan was on pelted with stones by the gang, who later threw a lit piece of paper at her.

A local resident told the newspaper: “We were inside the bus and they were throwing stones, screaming and shouting things.

“Another time 10-15 of them were surrounding and throwing stuff. They lit a piece of paper and threw it at her face.”

On another incident, the gang followed Susan to a local shopping centre, where they called names to her from the entrance, with a spokesperson for the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ star claiming they were considering calling the police, in the hope that would bring the abuse to a halt.

The Mirror’s witness claimed that Susan wasn’t the only town resident who’d been targeted, though, adding: “They’re known to the community. They set the children’s park on fire, they put fireworks through somebody’s door, they threw eggs at a wee girl’s window.

“They pick on the most vulnerable people. If there is more than one person they won’t do it – because they are too scared. It’s old people, children, mentally ill people. It’s really disgusting.”

Despite the fame and success that she has achieved since appearing on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ eight years ago, Susan has chosen to stay living in the same home she always has, in Blackburn, near Glasgow.

Last year, she signed a fresh recording contract with Simon Cowell’s Syco records, amid releasing her seventh top 40 album, ‘A Wonderful World’, which featured covers of songs by artists as varied as Madonna, Elvis Presley and Robbie Williams, as well as a duet with Michael Bolton.

Last year, she told HuffPost UK that her success had helped her deal with negative critics both in the industry and in life, claiming: “People write things about you, people may say things about you but they can’t hurt you.

“Because if you do your job well, and people like what you do, that counteracts the bad. And turns it around, into a good thing. Into a positive thing.

“Negativity can always be turned on its head, and made into a positive. There is always a silver lining, and there’s a lot of good that counteracts the bad.”