BUILDERS working on Bishop Auckland's £67m new hospital had a Christmas tonic for young patients.
Staff from Shepherd Construction got together with their two main sub-contractors Drake Scull and Horbury to buy a pile of presents for the children's ward. They collected £230 on the site and Shepherd's directors added an extra £300 to buy a television.
Construction project manager Paul Waller, pictured left, and senior planning surveyor Paul Surtees, hidden inside a Father Christmas suit, helped to deliver the gifts to the ward.
They were welcomed by 19-month-old Annabel McManus, from Spennymoor, pictured right with her parents Andrew and Emma, and Olivia Jobe, just four weeks, with her mother Lisa, from Newton Aycliffe.
Mr Waller said: "We had a whip round because we wanted to make sure the children who are unfortunate enough to be in hospital over Christmas have as good a time as possible.
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