CHILDREN stuck in hospital over Christmas were given a festive treat yesterday thanks to the region’s firefighters.

With a Father Christmas – complete with white eyebrows – two crews from a Newcastle fire station handed out presents to children undergoing treatment in four of the region’s hospitals.

The crews, from Blue Watch at Newcastle East fire station in Byker, spread festive cheer by handing out gifts to children on 14 wards at Newcastle’s RVI, three wards at Sunderland Royal, two wards at North Tyneside General and five wards at the Freeman.

The wards covered children from newborn babies to teenagers.

Some of yhe young patients are in hospital for extended periods and will have to spend Christmas there rather than at home. The firefighters visited children on burns wards, cancer wards, and those undergoing dialysis.

The event was made possible because of donations from Asda in Byker and Gosforth, Boots in Eldon Square, and HSBC in the Team Valley which enabled firefighters to buy additional presents.

The firefighters have been carrying out their festive hospital deliveries for 10 years, thanks to the contributions from businesses who want to help.

Watch manager Dave Linsley said: “The kids love it – especially those on the long-term wards. They love the craic and making a fuss of them for five or 10 minutes, and putting the helmets on.

“We’ve been doing it for 10 years and give to newborns up to teenage kids on the burns unit, dialysis and cancer wards. Some of them are in hospital virtually the whole year.

“It’s very important because it’s one of the nicer sides of the job and we can give something back. We work in particular with the burns unit because we know how devastating burns can be; and firefighters in the service have had kids on the cancer wards, so it’s important. They are there, rather than being with their families. Santa Claus dishes out the presents and it raises their spirits.

“It eases the boredom for them and they like it. If we can do that for them, that’s great.”

He expressed his thanks to the business on behalf of the firefighters, children and hospitals and added: “The shops gave presents and HSBC, from their charity wing, gave us money to buy presents. Without them all it wouldn’t go ahead.”

He added: “All of their contributions are priceless.”