THIEVES have ruined Golden Jubilee celebrations for a group of pensioners - by stealing their decorations.

Residents at a Southampton sheltered housing project were left deeply upset after the bunting and flags managers had put up were stolen.

Intruders grabbed half the decorations one night and returned the next night to finish the job.

Now staff at St Francis House in Edelvale Road, Townhill Park, say there is no more money with which to replace the decorations, so the elderly residents will have to do without.

Manager Angela Stapleton, 52, said: "It's terrible and really very upsetting both for me and the residents.

"I even saw the boys doing it on the Friday, but that didn't stop them and they just came back the next day to finish the job off.

She added: "I won't be putting any more up now, because I think they will just go again, and as we are a care society for elderly people, we simply don't have the money to go out and buy more decorations."

Angela even had a struggle getting the decorations up in the first place, as she is suffering from a bad hip and had to use a ladder to get the bunting in place.

One resident, Jo Chalk, 85, said: "I'm really upset and devastated, as is everyone else here. They're just wicked."

Anyone who can offer replacement decorations for the house can contact the manager on 023 8047 7393.