A pub in Wimbledon is offering a free Christmas dinner and a pint to anyone who is on their own this Christmas.

The Alexandra, in Wimbledon Hill, became a viral sensation on social media last year for it's support to people who are on their own - after former MP George Galloway tweeted about it

Manager Michael Dore, who runs the pub with his wife Sarah, said he had been blown away by support for the idea.

He said: “ Last year we tweeted about it as we always do and nobody really took much notice of it, but bizarrely out of the blue, our tweet went viral and was trending third on Twitter behind Brexit and Donald Trump.

“We had a lady write to us from Australia and one from New York to say it was a heart-warming thing. Apparently it had been on the news feed over there.”

It was seven years ago when the pub started offering a free couple of pints or glasses of wine for people who were on their own for Christmas, but after a kitchen refurbishment last year the pub is now offering roast turkey dinners.

Meanwhile, people have been offering to donate money towards the cause and even a local fishmonger has offered smoked salmon for starters.

Michael Bore said: “We never really thought anybody would be that interested in it. We thought we’d get our usual half a dozen or souls, retired servicemen and the like and it wasn’t that big a deal.

“Now it’s got loads of publicity though we are hearing stories of people around the country who are at least asking why can’t we do that? And why doesn’t somebody to that in our area?

“I think it will be a normal thing in a couple of years for churches, pubs, clubs etc to do. There really is no reason at all it can’t happen.”