one of Santa’s little helpers delivered a surprise Christmas gift to brighten a 93-year-old’s day after he was robbed in his home by masked thugs in 2007.

The Gazette teamed up with local businesses to deliver a bumper festive hamper full of goodies to Thomas McLean.

The frail widower, from Kilbarchan, had been subjected to a terrifying half-hour ordeal by two masked thugs who robbed him of £10 he was saving to buy Christmas presents.

Great-granddad Thomas had kept the cash aside for the festive season, only for the callous crooks to turn his house upside down looking for it.

The war veteran was left badly shaken after the assault at his home but remained defiant as he hit out at his attackers.

Thomas said at the time: “They forced me down into a chair and told me to sit there.

“One of them asked me to tell him where I kept my money but I didn’t tell him.

“I only had about £10 in a drawer and they turned the house upside down before finding it.”

Mhairi Cairnduff — wearing a Santa-style outfit — delivered the hamper to Thomas, who discovered Belgian chocolate biscuits, iced Christmas cake, a bottle of bucks fizz and Swiss chocolate truffles inside the box of delicious goodies.

He added: “The hamper is wonderful and Mhairi is beautiful.”

Former joiner Thomas admitted it was something of a struggle to get over the trauma he had suffered – but was still determined to have a great Christmas.

Thomas also had a message to those who had targeted him.

He added: “It’s terrible what people get up to these days.

“I hope the police manage to catch them.”