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A restaurant in Eastbourne town centre held a free event on Christmas Day to bring people together who would otherwise be alone.

Dem Shish in South Street served free Christmas dinners and drinks to almost 50 people who visited the Turkish restaurant on December 25. Owner Kadir Akan said all staff also voluntarily worked for free on Christmas Day along with musician Robbie Silver.

Mr Akan said: "Christmas Day is a day where loved ones join to celebrate and create ever-lasting memories. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all. There is a population that does not have the luxury of family or friends, and they are on our doorstep.”

The owner, who worked alongside charities such as Age Concern Eastbourne, said the event was ‘perfect’.

Dem Shish owner Kadir Akan (second from right) with the mayor of Eastbourne

He added: “There were a lot of happy people. That was our main purpose, to make them happy. We tried to do something different.

“We wanted to do something nice for the elderly people who were going to be alone.”

Despite not being Christian, Mr Akan explained that he did not want people to be alone during the holiday.

He said: “The Eastbourne community has helped us a lot. They have made us successful and we tried to do something nice for our community in some way.

“They were so happy. It gave us strength for the future. It has given us motivation”

Dem Shish is planning to host the event again next year and Mr Akan said he hopes other restaurants may do something similar.

Eastbourne restaurant hosts free Christmas Day event to combat loneliness