THERE will be room at the inn on Christmas Day at a pub offering free meals for elderly and lonely people.

Generous regulars have dug deep and offered to pay for turkey and all the trimmings at The Chestnut for anyone who does not want to spend Sunday, December 25 alone.

Landlord Colin Robinson, known as Mad Pierre, will spend most of the day in the kitchen preparing and cooking the slap up meals.

He decided to run the offer again after 28 people enjoyed the free meal and company last year at the pub on Lansdowne Road, Worcester.

The 60-year-old said: "I think it is atrocious people are spending Christmas alone.

"It's so sad that they are on their own over Christmas so it is nice to bring a bit of happiness.

"We had all sorts of people in last year - disabled people, lovely old age pensioners.

"I spoke to them all, they were great and we enjoyed a great day.

"It went really well.

"We hope to have more people over this year so if anyone needs a meal all they have got to do is get hold of me and I can write their names down.

"If they need transport we'll organise that.

"Anyone is welcome but it is on a first come, first served basis but we didn't have to turn anyone away last year which was great because I am such a fool I will keep doing it until everyone is fed.

"I don't have family anymore, I'm getting older but I enjoy it and I've done it for years - I've done it here, in Cheltenham, at the Lamb Inn in West Malvern, in Hereford."

He expects to be in the kitchen from 8am to between 5pm and 6pm preparing and cooking the dishes but has a team of helpers from Worcester Baptist Church, Sansome Walk.

"We've had so many offers of help I will probably be feeding more volunteers that customers but it's all part of the day.

"We hope to do raffle and then we've got sponsorship from some of the locals.

"[The Spike author] Bob Blandford will be doing a book signing and he is going to donate a bit towards it too."

Mad Pierre is also fundraising for a defibrillator in the pub and is £500 away from his target.

He added: "We're a community pub and there isn't one located near here so it will always be on call 24/7.

"Pople will have access to at all times of day and it would be kept in a cabinet in the smoking area outside so people can ring up number get the code and get it out.

"I think they're great."

Anyone who wants to sign up for a Christmas meal, wishes to sponsor one or wants to donate to the defibrillator appeal should contact Mad Pierre on 07773 066 192 or pop into the pub.