THE music is back in the life of a lonely pensioner - thanks to Star readers.

When we carried the story about the man, a patient at Whiston Hospital's Sherdley Unit with no family and friends whose only pleasure was playing the accordion, it plucked at the heartstrings of kindly townsfolk.

Staff at the unit were appealing for help after the beloved instrument was damaged.

Reader Samantha Slater-Stanley from Mill Lane, Sutton Leach promptly contacted us to offer the pensioner a Scandalli accordion, complete with carry case.

And now the pensioner has two working accordions after another reader mended his old instrument!

Brian Roscoe from the Primary Care Trust, who initially contacted the Star, was delighted with the response. He also thanked Martin Griffin from St Helens Mind whose friend, Bob Mercer, fixed the broken instrument, "with a bit of WD40 and a load of screws"'.

Brian said: "When we presented the man with the accordion he was really delighted and started playing it straight away. With something like this everybody wins".