A BICESTER businessman has helped Christmas come early in the town this year.

The warehouse owner saved the day by offering the use of his premises for this year's Operation Christmas Child festive shoebox campaign, after the organisers could not find a suitable place to pack their presents.

Now the squad of Santa's elves are steaming ahead and have invited local to come and join them from Monday.

Each year, Oxfordshire volunteers for Operation Christmas Child pack hundreds of shoeboxes with presents to send to less-fortunate children in Eastern Europe and North Africa.

This year, the international organisation is aiming to send out 30,000 present-packed parcels.

The Bicester team got a head-start on this year's operation on Saturday when volunteers packed 250 boxes, following a year's work raising funds and collecting.

The next stage in the process nearly did not happen as the group struggled to find a suitable space, but a local businessman stepped in after an appeal on Facebook.

The warehouse will now be open for locals to come and help pack more boxes from Monday until Friday, November 30, 10am to 5pm, and from 11am to 4pm on Saturdays November 17 and 24. Evening openings can also be arranged.

Contact Marie Coney on marieconey@hotmail.co.uk or 07814 359359.