THE Co-Operative food store in Bishops Lydeard has marked the support given to troops during World War One by donating over 150 Christmas puddings to the nearby Dunkirk Memorial Home.

The home is run by the Royal British Legion and Co-Op is sending some 2,000 pudding to legion homes and centres around the UK.

The donations mark the firm's decision to send hundreds of puddings from its factory in Middleton near Manchester to the front line back in 1914 to give soldiers fighting in France some seasonal home comforts.

Teresa McLoughlin, operations manager for The Co-operative Food in the Taunton area, said: "To donate the Christmas puddings to the troops was a magnificent gesture and one that The Co-operative Food wanted to commemorate in communities across the UK this Christmas time - I am sure that The Royal British Legion veterans at Dunkirk Memorial House will enjoy the festive fayre."

Dunkirk Memorial House residents Imma Guppy and Sylvia Pound sample some of the Christmas puddings delivered by The Co-Operative Food's Bishop Lydeard store manager, Debbie Leat.