A MOTHER has told how friends rallied round to save her children’s Christmas after thieves stole all their presents.

Julie Bentley, of Boroughbridge Road, York, said she was devastated when the burglars broke into her garage and took two bags full of wrapped gifts for her five-year-old daughter Lydia and son Danny, ten, along with a box full of food she had set aside for Christmas.

The theft happened only 24 hours before she was due to take the children away for a festive break, and she had no idea how to begin replacing all the presents she had carefully bought over the previous three months.

But then friends heard what had happened and immediately rallied round, rushing out to buy replacement presents and food. “It was unbelievable,” she said.

The well-wishers included the parents of pupils at Poppleton Ousebank Primary School, which her children attend, old school friends of hers from Selby, parishioners from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and a local company, Inspire to Independence.

“I am a chiropodist and I also received things from my lovely patients for the children,” she said.

“I was overwhelmed by everybody’s love and support and it made me realise that there are bad people around, but they really are the minority.

“Everyone helped turn a terrible situation into the best Christmas we could ever wish for. We literally had 24 hours to turn things around before we left to go on holiday and because of the fantastic, generous and supportive people we have in our lives, we were able to do it.

“I am a single parent of two fabulous children, they have had a difficult year and I was determined they were going to have the Christmas they deserved.”

She said one of the stolen bags was very distinctive – a big zip-up shopper bag with a black-and-white repetitive pattern of a scull and crossbones on it.

“If anybody does see it, then they should call the police,” she said.