IF anyone ever questions the generosity of Yorkshire folk, present them with a copy of today's paper. Our readers have again demonstrated that the miserly Tyke is a creature of myth.

There is a sort of alchemy at work here: two bad news stories have been turned good through the kindness of strangers. And the catalyst, we are proud to say in Local Newspaper Week, is the Evening Press.

Last month we reported how £3,600 had been stolen from a car in York. That would be an awful blow to any family, but it was devastating to Mick and Cheryl McLeod - this was the money they had saved to take their blind son Reece and his brothers and sisters on a dream holiday to Turkey.

An appeal for the money's return in our pages fell on deaf ears; honour among thieves is another myth.

Yet within a week, our readers had donated £600 to the McLeods. And former York Wasps star Graham Sullivan launched an appeal that today hit its target. With your help, Reece and his family's dream will come true.

Our second story reported an act of even more wanton wickedness. Who can imagine what strange pleasure the vandals derived from stripping Labella Allsopp's grave of flowers?

Widower Mr Allsopp, 89, was horrified - and so were our readers. He has been inundated with good wishes, cards and flowers, including one floral gift from "the lads who print your Press".

Now Mr Allsopp is able to restore his wife's grave to the blaze of colour it was before.

In both cases, donations came out of every kind of pocket: from big lads like Mr Sullivan and our printers to little old ladies who dipped into their pension.

It is affirmation of what we said yesterday. This is a community newspaper. The best thanks we can give to everyone who helped is to reiterate Mr Allsopp's words: "I lost faith in people but I've really got it back."

Updated: 10:29 Thursday, June 27, 2002