A NEW FOREST councillor handed an £80,000 legal bill after slapping an elderly election candidate has suffered another blow.

Penny Jackman’s bid to persuade the public to help her pay the huge sum has been blocked by the crowdfunding website GoFundMe, which has removed her page for violating its terms.

Cllr Jackman, of Pennington, must now find another way of raising the cash and could be forced to sell her house.

The 50-year-old Conservative got her begging bowl out last month after losing a two-day court case brought by pensioner Mike Beggs.

The Southampton County Court hearing followed an incident at a Lymington Town Council by-election count in 2012 in which Mr Beggs, who was standing for UKIP, lost to Tory candidate Michael White.

Mr Beggs, 75, of Sway, claimed he lost several teeth when Cllr Jackman suddenly lashed out during a furious row over his election leaflets.

He was awarded more than £14,000 in damages and could also receive about £70,000 in costs.

As reported in the Daily Echo, Cllr Jackman made a public plea for cash just days after the hearing, saying she and her family lived in a modest two-bed home and she would be grateful for contributions.

Speaking at the time she said: “I have an enormous bill to pay because a judge ruled that I did not act in self-defence.

“I would so appreciate any donations as my opponent and his lawyers made it absolutely clear in previous dealings that they have no problem with making me bankrupt and homeless (along with my family) if that is what it takes to settle their bill.

“We live in a modest two-bedroom home. There would not be enough left to buy another home and stay in the same area.

“Words cannot describe how grateful I (and my family) would be for any contribution you might wish to make to help us resolve this dreadful situation.”

Cllr Jackman, a member of Lymington Town Council, New Forest District Council and the New Forest National Park Authority, received donations totalling about £300.

But her page has now been removed from GoFundMe – a do-it-yourself website that enables people to raise money online for everything from medical bills to funerals.

A GoFundMe spokesman said: “We do not accept campaigns for the defence or support of anyone alleged to be involved in criminal activity. All donations will be automatically refunded to the donors.”

It comes less than a month after a similar page for a Chicago police officer accused of murdering a 17-year-old boy last year was also removed.

Cllr Jackman declined to comment on her latest set-back. Mr Beggs claims he offered to settle the matter for £6,000 shortly after the incident but she refused.