The OWNERS of two of Harrogate’s independent restaurants are giving up their Christmas Day to help elderly and vulnerable people in the town.

Sara and Stefano Lancellotti, along with Sara’s father Brian Ferguson's Italian restaurant Sasso, will be opening up and serving festive lunch to a group of pensioners on Christmas Day.

The couple, who also own pizzeria Caffe Marconi, have decided to set aside part of their own Christmas Day celebrations to help the elderly in the town and have teamed up with St Mark’s Church in Harrogate to identify people to invite to the meal.

The couple are appealing to their customers to help ensure that each of the 40 pensioners turning up for Christmas lunch has a small gift to open.

Mrs Lancellotti said: “We have been thinking about doing something like this for a long time – we know there are people who are lonely at Christmas and we would like them to come along to us and enjoy a home-cooked lunch and meet others who are also on their own.

Mr Lancellott said: "We have never opened before on Christmas Day but instead of charging people for a festive meal, we want to help the local community.

“That is the idea of Christmas – we want to give something back to the community and do something positive."

Rev Dan Watts, vicar at St Mark’s Church, Harrogate, said he was delighted to be part of the initiative.

“We can’t wait to be part of this. it’s a brilliant initiative and says more about Christmas than any wrapped up present I can think of,” he said.

Anyone wanting to drop off small gifts or to make a donation, should drop them into Caffe Marconi, in Princes Square, Harrogate.