It is a heartwarming Christmas story.

Even if the country is riven by political strife, the festive period is a time for togetherness and generosity.

And the kind-hearted gesture of the mystery shopper who offered to pay for a whole festive feast for the patrons of Walney’s St Mary’s Church is a perfect encapsulation of that.

If only we knew the name of the anonymous altruist who decided to pay for the spread when she overheard churchgoer Sheila Reynolds at the checkout in Morrison’s, then we could offer her a huge thank you.

Because even though the package only totalled £57, it is hard to put a price on the staggering kindness of the gesture.

As the Reverend Andy Bachelor said, it is an incredible act, and can only be applauded.

To be sure, it was a charitable gesture of the highest order.

But the stunning commitment to the community made by the group our mystery woman was helping cannot be ignored.

The Contact Club has been providing free weekly meals for elderly for four decades.

Beyond the food, it offers a vital social lifeline to isolated members of the community.

All this confirms what everyone has always known about Barrow: that it is a close-knit town with heaps of community spirit.