A housebound woman was today celebrating her best Christmas present ever - freedom from the home which has been her "prison" for two years.

Joan Purkiss has been confined to her house since a stroke left her with little balance and unable to walk very far.

Now she will be able to get out and about after kind-hearted Castle Point councillor Dennis Williams stepped in to help buy her a wheelchair and make her mobile again. One of her first trips will be to take her dog Harry for a walk.

Mr Williams was alerted to her plight when she wrote to him pleading for help after he raised funds to buy several chairs for a nearby old people's home.

A sponsored parachute jump by Canvey woman Gill Wade to boost funds, left some spare cash, which has been spent on the chair for Mrs Purkiss.

The 67-year-old of Tewkes Road, Canvey, was overjoyed with the gift. She said: "This is the best Christmas present I have ever had.

"I just cannot believe it. I never expected this, not even in my wildest dreams.

"After I wrote to Mr Williams I just put the matter aside. I never thought anything would come of it. Then he rang me and said he had got me a chair. I was just so shocked and totally choked."

Mrs Purkiss who bought her dog Harry two weeks before she had her stroke, is looking forward to being able to take him for a walk.

She added: "It will be absolutely wonderful. I have not been able to go out on my own because I have not got much balance. I couldn't even manage to post a few Christmas cards because I was so frightened of falling over.

"Most of my life is spent in my bedroom or kitchen. It will be so lovely to see the outside world again."

Mrs Purkiss had tried for a wheelchair from social services, but had been refused and could not afford one herself. Mr Williams said: "When I phoned her to say I had managed to get her a chair, there was a big silence.

"I thought we had been cut-off and then I heard her crying. She was so pleased."

Free at last - Joan Purkiss with her dog Harry

Picture: LUAN MARSHALL

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.