Hackers have attempted to steal credit card data from people who purchased items from RNIB

Hundreds of visually impaired people may have been defrauded after a charity was targeted by cyber attackers.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) said that hackers may have accessed the credit card details of hundreds of customers who have used its online shop

It believes that as many as 817 people may have been affected by the breach, which took place between 17 and 26 November.

Sally Harvey, chief executive of RNIB, said: "We take our responsibility for keeping our customers’ details safe extremely seriously and as soon as we became aware of the issue, we contacted 817 people as a precautionary measure.

"These were customers who had made a purchase via the online shop during this time. We have recommended that they contact their bank or credit card provider and follow their advice in order to protect their accounts."

The shop sells items for the blind, such as canes and eye shields, and hackers attempting to access the credit card details of customers who made purchases.

The charity launched an immediate investigation and said that appropriate measures have been put in place to prevent a repeat of the incident.