BAKER Greg Dunningham has offered to give residents a Christmas feast after their original food was stolen.

Pensioners at Beatty Court in Dammas Lane were heartbroken when thieves broke into the sheltered housing complex and stole a £100 microwave, a turkey and joints of pork and bacon which had been bought for their Christ-mas dinner.

But their faith in humanity has been restored by the generous gesture of Greg, who owns a bakery in Wood Street, Old Town.

He said he was upset by the story on the front of Wednesday's Evening Advertiser, which told how the thieves broke into the Anchor Trust-run complex, home for 38 residents. Greg said: "When I saw the story on the front of the Adver, I was just so upset about it.

"I felt terrible for the people at the home and I just wanted to do something to show them that there are some good people out there.

"It really incensed me that there are people out there who would do something like this.

" The people at the home didn't deserve this and I wanted to show them that not everyone is like the people who stole from them."

He said he would give the old folk all the things they wanted for a slap-up Christmas dinner.

Greg went to the housing complex when he read the story to tell the warden what he wanted to do.

Although he did not tell his wife Jo, who also helps to run the bakery, he was surprised to find that she had the same idea herself after reading the story.

"She thought it was appalling what had happened and was planning on asking me if I wanted to do exactly what I had already done," he said.

The warden at the home, Diane Roberts, said she was overwhelmed by the generosity of Greg's gesture.

"To be honest, when this complete stranger came in and told me what he wanted to do, I just cried," she said.

"When we had all the food stolen, everyone at the home, including myself, went through all the emotions of thinking how dare anyone do this to us.

"But what Greg has offered to do is wonderful.

"It really does restore your faith and makes you realise that for every rotter out there, there are many more good people."

Residents Miranda Lawson -Crisp, 85, and Ernest Bishop, 84, were angry and upset at the time of the burglary.

Diane said: "They felt really upset that their homes had been violated.

"But with the offer from Greg, they are feeling much better and think it is a wonderful gesture."