Veteran who survived Covid twice receives 5,000 cards for his 101st birthday

• Report by Jon Hill

An RAF veteran from Halifax has been sent over 5,000 cards for his 101st birthday after staff at his care home wanted to surprise him on his big day.

Jack Annall was a bit fed up that his daughter couldn't travel from Australia to be with him, so Sandholme Fold Care Home manage, Vicky Gudgin appealed for people to send him a birthday card.

Vicky said: "He doesn't have much family as his daughter lives abroad.

"I knew he was feeling a little bit down so thought, what can we do to lift his spirits?"

Jack, who has lived in the Sandholme Fold care home since 2016, has survived Covid twice but hasn't managed to see his daughter in three years.

Vicky initially asked other care homes in the area to send cards in the hope of reaching 101. But when the appeal was shared on social media, thousands arrived from around the world.

And for Jack, he could barely find the words to describe what he was feeling.

"Just amazed actually...I don't know how it's been done!"

Jack lived in Bradford for most of his life with his late wife May.

He served as a joiner in the RAF for more than four years during the second world war as part of Number 617 Squadron and worked on Mosquito planes.