A KIND-hearted family threw open their doors to host a New Year's Eve party for victims of the Prestolee floods.

Stuart and Jane Fox's house in Riverside Drive, in Prestolee, narrowly missed the worst of the floods which swamped the street on December 26.

The family, including children Emily, aged 11, and Joseph, aged six, have since been on hand to help in the clear-up, but on New Year's Eve decided to welcome in those who had lost their homes to the flood waters.

At the stroke of midnight they shared their celebrations with the flood victims and volunteers for a very special New Year's party.

Stuart, chairman of governors at Prestolee Primary School, said his family wanted to do what they could for their neighbours who had gone through the worse of the flooding and those helping in the aftermath.

He said: "Bizarre as it sounds, you feel a bit guilty because you escaped it. It just got into our garage and caused a couple of thousand pounds of damage, which is small compared to what others have.

"In the evening we can switch the light on, the heating, but you see the darkness outside. Why not invite people in for New Year?

"We were not expecting lots of people, everyone has been working 18 hours days just grafting and everyone is really tired. We just wanted to thank people.

"It was good to see, people were happy and it took the weight off our minds — it was an excuse to have a drink and a laugh again!"

Stuart posted an invite to the New Year's Eve celebrations on the Stoneclough community Facebook page, where locals have been posting advice, calls for help and offers of food and drink relief.

As well as inviting people in, the Fox's took glasses of bubbly out on to the street for people who have volunteered to patrol the street in the hours of darkness to help prevent against looting.

It is not the first time this week that the family have had the flooding victims in their home.

On the day of the floods Stuart was one of the first to warn his neighbours of the rising waters and five families rushed to the safety in his house.

In the rising water Stuart even spotted an otter floating by the house before fear of flooding meant everyone was forced to escape out through back garden.

His sister Angela Barclay, her husband Bill, and two children Caitlin, aged 15, and Lucy, aged 12, lost their home under four and half feet of water.

On New Year's day they all gathered together in Stuart and Jane's home for a 'second Christmas' to help save some of the festive spirit that had been washed away in the floods.

Stuart added: "When it happen you just forgot what day it was and went into action mode, the day after it hit me. There were children and adults in tears.

"The main thing to have come out of this is we are all a lot closer as a community. I didn't think that was possible because we are a proper village and everyone looks out for each other, but now we all know each other and I don't think there has been a single person that's closed their curtains to this.

"No one is saying 'this is a flood plain so I'm moving out', it's the opposite, we love it here."

Elsewhere others took in a more sedate New Year as they expect a wait of nearly six months before their homes are habitable again.

Kev and Donna Kelly, and their three children, were forced out of their home into waist-deep water and have been staying in an empty house, with kind donations of furniture and other goods to help them get by.

On New Year's Eve they took a break from the hours spent cleaning out the mud and dirt left in their Riverside home to spend midnight at a friend's house in their pyjamas.

Kev, aged 38, said: "We will always welcome in New Year together and, although we were tired, we were talking about all the help we've received and how in the New Year we are going to help others."

Paul Tyler, aged 50, experienced a quiet New Year after his ex-wife Debbie and their two daughters Nicole, aged 18, and Chloe, aged 15, lost their house in Riverside Drive to the water.

While the family have now found a safe place to start off 2016, it's been a tough few days.

Paul said: "You don't want to celebrate. Everyone has rallied round but you don't have time to stop and it's hard to sleep at time thinking about what's happened."

Since the flooding individuals and businesses both near and far have come out in support for the little community.

A flooding committee has been established to help handle the large amount of donations being raised in support of the victims, while donations of food and blankets have been handed out in Prestolee's Holy Trinity Church.

To help bring back the festive cheer, 90 tickets to Sunday's production of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Premier Suite, at Bolton Whites Hotel, have been donated to families affected by the floods.

Residents at Riverside Drive have happily taken up the offer for the Sunday performance of the pantomime to help make up for the ruined Christmas, with the hunt on for a minibus to transport the children - and adults - to some much-needed laughter relief.