KATHY Kirby is Swindon's most helpful neighbour and that is official.

For the 73-year-old is the winner of Swindon Council's Good Neighbour Award and will be presented with a gong by mayor Stan Pajak at tonight's full council meeting in the Civic Offices.

She is the second winner in the council's Good Citizen Awards. The first winner was three-year-old cancer sufferer Bethany Robinson, who in July won the young person category for acting as the ears for her deaf parents.

A further four winners will be selected during the mayor's year in office.

Kathy is known for her friendly, smiling face in George Tweed Gardens, Shaw, where she lives.

She regularly shops, collects pensions and even does laundry for her less able neighbours.

Two of those neighbours Jean Waller, 63, and Joyce Telling, 70 are so grateful to her that they nominated her for the award.

Joyce said: "Kathy's a life-saver. I live alone and had an operation a while ago which left me bedridden and deaf in one ear.

"Then Kathy moved in and was soon helping me in all sorts of ways. She gets my pension and my shopping and is generally a happy face to cheer me up.

"It was also Kathy's idea for me to go shopping with her one day on the bus and since then I've been managing to get about a lot more."

Jean said: "Since Kathy moved in here about three years ago she's been a wonder.

"She's helped with my shopping and my laundry and she always has a smile and a joke.

"Every time she goes shopping she asks people if they need anything and can regularly be seen coming up the steps here carrying two big shopping bags.

"We just wanted to show her how much we appreciate her."

Kathy is modest about the praise.

She said: "I've always liked helping people. It's just something I do. My neighbours need help and I like to give it. To tell you the truth I'm a bit shy and all this business about the award is a bit overwhelming."

Joyce and Jean nominated Kathy for the Good Neighbour Award after seeing an advertisement asking for nominations in the Evening Advertiser.

Before tonight's full council meeting, all three will be chauffeur- driven to the Civic Offices in the mayor's car.

Kathy added: "I don't really know what to expect, but I believe he's going to present me with an award.

"I'm a bit nervous and excited at the same time, but it's lovely to know I make my neighbours so happy."

Coun Pajak said: "Her two neighbours put her forward because of all the good work she does looking after them and always going around with a smile.

"She's a happy force in the housing complex where they all live and we thought she was a well deserved winner."