Knitters across the country are being called on to take up their needles in aid of a breast cancer campaign which has spread like wildfire in a matter of hours.

Thousands of people have now showed their support for a campaign which started when a woman from Saffron Walden, who suffers from breast cancer, was called a ‘sick freak’ in Tesco for wearing a hand-knitted boobie hat.

A torrent of support for the woman ensued, and a Facebook Page set up in support has now drawn almost 3,000 likes – in just 24 hours.

In a letter directed at the person who confronted her, the woman at the centre of the story wrote: “You told me that you took offence to the hat and I should take it off. I started to politely explain that I’m currently affected by breast cancer and have lost my hair through chemotherapy.

“I was hoping the hat would encourage people to talk to me, so I could explain and raise awareness of the importance of knowing and checking your own breasts.”

She added: “But you only let me get as far as telling you I had lost my hair through chemotherapy before you interrupted, telling me that perhaps I should stay behind closed doors until I didn’t look like a ‘sick freak’. You then just walked off.

“I quietly paid for my shopping and left before anyone noticed the tears.”

Now a flash mob is being organised in Saffron Walden for Saturday, February 14, which already has around 400 attendees and counting. The plan is currently for attendees to sport hand-knitted boobie hats and to congregate on Saffron Walden Common, before walking to Market Square en masse.

“I’ve been overwhelmed with the response,” said mother-of-three Sharon Morris, who lives in the town and has coordinated the campaign.

“There are so many people who want to come on the flashmob. The original aim of her wearing the hat was to raise awareness of breast cancer, and that’s what it’s about.

“This is a call to all knitters to make a boobie hat. If you know what you’re doing you can make one in an evening,” she said, adding she was intending to organise a knitting group next week, to coordinate with World Cancer Day on Wednesday, February 4.

For more information go to the Facebook Page, Saffron Walden Boobiebellion. You can also keep posted on the group’s progress by following it on Twitter: @boobiebellion