Blackpool's Big Ryan hands out presents to families in need

Ryan, 35, of South Shore, raised more than £600 via a Justgiving page after sleeping rough overnight, earlier this month, and was also boosted by £200 worth of donations.

And with support from pal Tony Wilson he went out in a van and dropped gifts off to various families he had been in touch with, including some living in hostels and people who visit the Amazing Graze soup kitchen in the resort.

Ryan was also helped by another pal, Blackpool businessman Spencer Brown, who supplied hundreds of toys for the venture.

Big-hearted Ryan also handed out hundreds chocolates to patients at the Harbour mental health unit and mince pies to Blackpool's ambulance and fire crews.

He said: "Helping people who are worse off than you makes you feel better and our emergency services and health workers need support as well.

"It's good to do this at Christmas, I'd just like to thank everyone who helped me."

Ryan, knows as Big Ry to his friends, has had a busy few months, staging a sponsored walk at Bloomfield Road stadium in support of the RNLI and helping to set up a soup kitchen.

He has now slept rough on two seperate occasions in recent weeks, including in the wind and rain, and says it has given him a better understanding on the plight of the homeless.