A WOMAN who has battled with life-long mental illness is knitting scarves for the homeless as her therapy.

Lizzie Davies, 38, from Halstead, has suffered with bipolar disorder and a type of Schizophrenia all her life.

After overdosing last year, she spent six weeks at The Lakes mental health unit in Colchester.

Once returning home to Kings Road she found a kind of therapy in knitting, after her friend introduced her in the form of a knitted scarf as a birthday present.

She said: "At first I thought it was impossible and I gave up but the more I tried I realised I could do it and it's now a passion of mine.

"I have been doing it every day since, I make scarves for my friends for Christmas.

"There was a time when I ran away from home, and I thought it would be a good way to give back to the people who really are homeless, because everybody deserves to be warm at Christmas.

"I've got about 60 so far, I find it therapeutic because it distracts me from when I see and hear things, and it gives me a purpose."

She has spent hundreds of pounds on yarn to knit the scarves and has found it has improved her condition since.

She said: "I have very little recollection of when I overdosed but I know that I had planned it and had stored up tablets.

"Knitting just makes me feel like I'm doing something good as I can't work because of my mental illness, it's something positive."

She said she would be grateful to anyone who is able to donate yarn or money to buy materials, and they should email lizziedavies5555@gmail.com.

The scarves will be donated to the Salvation Army to hand out to the homeless this winter.