AN ANONYMOUS good samaritan has saved Christmas for hundreds of families as he delivers presents door-to-door in isolated communities.

The young man, who prefers to remain unnamed, has been working all hours walking round people’s homes in Princetown bringing their long-awaited parcels to ensure they get to children in time for Christmas Day.

The full-time pub chef leapt to the rescue of up to 1,000 households when he heard that hundreds of parcels expected in time for Christmas had not been delivered by courier to his neighbours because of a driver shortage.

So, he enlisted his friend Kevin as driver, as he does not drive, to collect 1,600 parcels from a storage depot, spending £200 on fuel and driving 500 miles. He had delivered about 600 before the Times went to press and the rest at home.

He said: ‘I did this because I couldn’t stand the thought of children being disappointed when they don’t get presents on Christmas Day. I have a daughter who’s only two, so I know how sad she’d be and how upset we’d also be as her parents. She’s a bit distraught at the moment because she thinks all the parcels in the lounge are for her. But I’m determined they will all be cleared by the big day.’

He is asking people living outside Princetown to collect from him.