HIT-AND-RUN victim Katie Scales and her family today said a big thank you to scores of Evening Press readers who have brought her Christmas cheer.

Only one week ago, we launched an appeal for £1,000 to buy a computer for the 11-year-old York schoolgirl, who was knocked down by a black Fiat Punto in Blossom Street earlier this month.

Warm-hearted readers rose to the challenge, with more than £1,200 raised by last night.

Now a computer has been installed at her Haxby home by Design Computers of Millfield Lane, York.

The equipment means she can now keep in touch with all her friends by email, and also do her schoolwork on the computer during her long recovery from serious jaw and arm injuries.

"It's really good," said Katie, a pupil at All Saints' School in York. "We had a computer, but it's really old and didn't have a printer."

Her mother, Sarah, said: "It has been absolutely fantastic. I can't believe it.

"It's overwhelming - not just all the donations but all the messages of support we have received, and all the prayers that have been said."

Her husband, Jeff, said: "We didn't expect anything like this - the amount of kindness that has come from everyone has been brilliant. It has helped us get through this.

"I would like to say a very big thank you to people from all over who have given us their support."

He also thanked the "fantastic" staff at York Hospital who treated Katie after the accident.

Katie said she was still in some pain at times but was feeling much better.

She needs another operation on her jaw in January, and can only eat mashed food at the moment because she cannot chew. Her right arm is still in a plaster cast.

Dave Smallwood, owner of Design Computers, which provided the £1,000 computer at a £250 discount, said members of the family firm had been saddened to hear news of Katie's accident in the Evening Press.

"We can imagine the horror of the same thing happening to one of our own. We wanted to help out when we read about Katie's computer appeal.

"We knew that we could provide Katie with a top-of-the-range PC and include loads of extras."

Donations have poured into our office over the past week, including £100 from the Harlequin Singing Group.

One of the biggest was for £250, from Gill and Tony Conroy, who run Riccall House Home Care Services and who said that five of their children were attending, or had attended, Katie's school.

Gill said: ""We felt an empathy with her parents. I am a nurse and we wanted to do something."

- Police are still hunting the driver of the Fiat Punto. Anyone with information should phone York police on 01904 631321.

- All money raised in excess of the £1,000 target will be given to the children's ward at York Hospital.

Updated: 11:06 Tuesday, December 24, 2002