Caring NHS staff gave a warm bed and a hot meal to an 84-year-old patient who was left stranded by the snow. Leonard 'Len' Watkins, above, was unable to get home from Norwich Community Hospital last week after the sudden snowfall brought the city to a standstill.

But kind-hearted staff from the hospital came to his aid, providing him with a hot meal, a bed for the night, and even a spare pair of pyjamas. Mr Watkins said: 'I'd like to say a big thank-you to all the nurses and staff at the hospital, as they did everything they could to keep me safe and warm. They were very kind and are a real credit to the NHS.'

Mr Watkins had been attending a clinic just after lunchtime, but when he came out, the snow was already thick on the ground and traffic was building up. He usually uses taxis to get to and from his appointments, but he was told he might have to wait to be collected and taken back to his home in south Norwich. So hospital staff stepped in and called his wife, Beryl, 83, to let her know her husband may be late. In the end, he could not get home, so he spent the night in hospital.