A RESTAURANT in Taunton held a party for Ukrainian children to help families during their first Christmas without their fathers, sons, and husbands.

The Little Wine Shop on the Riverside, near Coal Orchard, held the party last Sunday and made sure children could get presents from Santa.

Paul Broad, one of the managers of The Little Wine Shop, said: “There’s a Ukrainian lady who works with us since the day after she came in the country and we are taking another one with us as well.

“I thought I would organise a party for the children to give them something to look forward to, something to cheer them up.

“All the shops in the Independent Quarter have donated. There was party food, and Santa came to visit too.

“There were also books to the children can learn a bit more English and we raised a total of £400 for the party.

“Working with them I was told stories of what is going on back home. The children are worried because they have dads out there on the frontline so we tried to cheer them up.”