A GREENOCK woman with severe epilepsy who was branded a 'liar' by a tribunal and denied lifeline benefits has WON her appeal.

Emotional Pauline Wotherspoon today thanked the Tele for highlighting her case and helping her take on benefit bosses.

The 43-year-old has battled the illness since she was child, slipping in to unconsciousness and having memory loss.

As a result of her health battles she also has had mental health problems and has been suicidal in the past.

She was left distraught when a panel labelled her ‘untruthful and unreliable’ and ‘lacking credibility’ when she tried to fight the decision to refuse her personal independent payments.

But now a new hearinghas overturned the decision, to huge relief for Pauline.

Following her victory Pauline, of Cawdor Crescent, said: "I don't think I would have won without the Tele.

"I would never have been able to do it.

"I want to thank everyone for their support but I also want to people to know that you should never give up and it is worth fighting for.

"I hope by highlighting this I have helped other people."

Pauline, who has also battled bulimia, hit rock bottom following her panel hearing ordeal October.

The mum-of-two said: "I had all but given up.

"My health suffered and I lost so much weight."

She previously told the Tele how her grand mal epilepsy is so bad that she sometimes she can't recognise her own family.

Pauline has lost count of the burns and injuries she has sustained as a result of seizures.

She lives with her husband Thomas and her son Kyle and suffers from at least one seizure a week, leaving her unable to go out on her own.

In spite of this she was denied personal independence payments following an assessment.

She then appealed the decision and faced a tribunal panel in the Tontine last year.

In a written judgement they claimed she had lied about the severity of her condition.

She was then forced to go through the whole process again, enduring months of worry.

Pauline said: "I was in a terrible state after the last time.

"But this time they were different and listened to what I had to say."

Pauline also thanked all the Tele readers who wrote in to show their support, plus leading charity Epilepsy Action who also hit out at her treatment.

Her mum Roseann Collins, aged 67, said: "It was terrible to see my daughter on the verge of just giving up in front of me.

"I kept saying to her that you have to fight this and I'm so glad she did now."