Susan Boyle, the singer who shot to fame on Britain's Got Talent, has been subjected to a campaign of insults and intimidation, it emerged today.

A gang of up to 15 youths have targeted the 56-year-old in her hometown of Blackburn, West Lothian. In one incident the gang, mainly boys, set light to paper and threw it at her.

A spokesman for the 56-year-old singer, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, told the Sunday Mirror they were planning to call in police to ensure her safety.