ELDERLY residents living next to a Swindon school had a welcome wake-up call on a frosty morning.

People living in St Andrew's Close, Wroughton, were greeted by pupils from Ridgeway School as they handed out a collection of festive hampers.

Year 9 pupils from the school had collected food and drink to prepare the decorated boxes for local pensioners.

A group of eight pupils took to the street to deliver the gifts, which were allocated through a prize draw.

Maria Nuevo, the assistant Key Stage 3 learning co-ordinator, said: "We put out an appeal for things to add to hampers for the people living near the school and we had a really heart-warming response.

"It's also a really good opportunity for people to connect with the older residents living around the school."

Houses in the area received a note from the school that they had been entered into the Spreading Some Christmas Cheer draw and that prizes would be handed out on Thursday morning.

Edna Cripps, 92, beamed as she took her hamper from the pupils.

She said: "It's a good surprise, something they used to do years ago and it's good that it is back.

"It's the luck of the draw and a lovely surprise."

Another happy recipient was Tony Smith.

As the pupils handed over their gift, he said: "What, for me? For nothing?

"Thank you very much, that's made my day. It's fantastic and I wasn't expecting it.

"Christmas is a hard time, I don't feel as old as I am.

"I'm 69 but in my head I'm 28 and that makes it hard to accept being old."

Included in the hampers were festive treats like mince pies and biscuits, as well as more basic items such as tea, jam and soup, and each box was topped off with a Christmas cracker.

Pupil Lucy Woodcock said: "It makes you feel all Christmassy.

"It has been freezing out there but was well worth it in the end."