WHEN someone shouts 180 at Kirby’s Ship pub it usually means good news for the darts team, but on Saturday it was good news for 180 elderly Gazette readers.

Frinton Rotary set out to spread some early Christmas cheer at the weekend by delivering free sacks of spuds.

The club’s potato delivery is launched eachyear with the help of the Gazette, which publishes a coupon inviting elderly and disabled readers to apply for the free gift.

People send off their coupon and eligible residents from Frinton, Walton and the surrounding villages receive a 28lb sack of potatoes.

The spuds are bought from Reedlands Farm in Little Clactonand delivered to the Ship in Kirby, where landlord Alastair Waters provides storage space.

Generous Rotary members met at the pub on Saturday to pick up the potatoes and distribute them.

Rotary president Chris Opperman said: “We’re very grateful to Alastair and to Reedlands Farm who supply the best quality spuds at a very reasonable price.

“This enables us to lighten the load of many elderly shoppers who have no transport of their own.”