'Part of the family': Jersey pub welcomes elderly islander for dinner every night

• ITV's Emma Volney has been to meet Lorna and the staff at the Smugglers Inn in Jersey

A pub says one punter has become "part of the family" after being welcomed for dinner every night for the past three years.

Lorna Hopley lost her beloved husband Roy 11 years ago, and after suffering an accident which left her with mobility problems, she now spends her evenings enjoying dinner at Smugglers Inn in Jersey.

The team pick her up from her house every night and always make sure she is well looked after and loved - one staff member even invited her to their wedding.

Lorna told ITV News the team feels "like one big family".

She said: "Sometimes, on a Sunday when they don't do evening meals, we'll do a beach barbecue - it's just a big family."

Eating out also means she doesn't need to do any washing up.

"No washing and I hardly ever put my dustbin out either, because I have no rubbish," she added.

The manager, Andrew Walker, first met Lorna when she came to the pub with her late husband every Monday.

He said: "She's part of the pub and it wouldn't be the same without her, so it's nice that she's been made to feel welcome and is loved by everyone."

Many people in Jersey will recognise Lorna after seeing her on ITV Channel raising thousands of pounds for the Sanctuary Trust and Jersey General Hospital, and after giving so much back to the community, the community is now giving back to her.

Spending her evenings in the pub not only means she eats well, but she also gets to meet new people all the time, including holidaymakers who visit Jersey from over the world.

She said: "Some people come in and say hello and I don't remember their faces! They say they remember me sitting here and I'll sometimes hear somebody saying 'that old lady's still there'. Excuse me? Old lady?!"

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