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Brit woman living on streets of Peru after being violently robbed on dream yoga retreat

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A British woman who travelled to for a dream yoga retreat has been left living on the streets after she was violently robbed.

Hannah Almond, 32, has been left stranded with pals fearing for the worst after thugs allegedly burned her possessions. She lost her phone, passport and was left penniless after she was attacked in the city of Cusco, it is understood.

A family friend said: "She is one of the most pure loving souls ever - she is very generous and always wants to help people. But she does not trust anyone after getting robbed and assaulted. Some locals burned all her belongings from under the bridge.

"She was contacting her mum every now and then through other people's phones. Police went to check on her two days ago and she has not been seen since. Cusco is a trafficking hotspot, so it's very worrying."

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Since being shared, the GoFundMe campaign has raised £6,310 out of a £6,500 target. Worried friends, from Hannah's hometown of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, have said the situation is "extremely urgent."

One post on the GoFundMe page reads: "She was robbed and assaulted, losing her passport, phone, and all of her money. Since then, Hannah’s mental health — something she has long struggled with — has severely declined.

"She is now in the midst of a mental health crisis, living under a bridge with a homeless man she befriended — the only person she currently trusts. Despite attempts to help her through official channels, Hannah is deeply fearful and unable to accept support from the embassy or local authorities. She is extremely vulnerable, isolated, and not safe living on the streets of Peru."

Hannah, who is a fashion graduate, is too scared to accept help from embassy officials, reports today. However, Mark Atkinson, the British Consul in Peru, told local media Hannah arrived in Cusco in early March as a tourist and did not plan to overstay her visa, but her immigration status is now in limbo. He added: "Sometimes we've paid for hotel stays, given her money for food, that sort of thing. But she always ends up coming back here."

More than 100,000 Brits travel to Peru every year with most stopping in Cusco which is the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail.

The current Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice warns a number of Brit tourists have been targeted by armed robbers in recent years. It adds: "Personal attacks, including sexual assaults, are infrequent but do happen, mostly in the Cusco and Arequipa areas."

Money raised on will go toward family and friends flights, accommodation, emergency care and food while Hannah's family and friends are in Peru, it is said.

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