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Kindly police officers came to the aid of an elderly Italian couple after neighbours called emergency services when they were heard crying in their apartment - because they were so lonely.

Officers rushed to the flat in the Appio area of Rome after nearby residents heard shouting and crying coming from inside, and found and 84-year-old Jole, and her 94-year-old husband Michele.

The couple said they had not been victims of crime, but were overcome by emotion after watching sad stories on the news.

The pair, who have been married for 70 years, said they had not had visitors for a long time and were very lonely.

While they waiting for an ambulance to arrive to check the couple over, the officers prepared a hot meal.

They then sat down to have a chat while the elderly couple ate the spaghetti with butter and parmesan they had prepared.

The police force said on its Facebook page: "Especially when the city empties and the neighbors are away on holiday, sometimes loneliness dissolves into tears.

"It can happen, as this time, that someone screams so loud from despair that eventually, someone calls the State Police.

"There is not a crime. Jole and Michele are not victims of scams and no thief entered the house - there is no one to save.

"This time, for the boys, there is a more daunting task - two lonely souls who need reassuring.

"And while waiting for the ambulance to ensure that the spouses are well, they understand that just a little human warmth will restore peace to Jole and Michele.

"They asked for permission to access to the pantry and improvise a dinner, a plate of pasta with butter and cheese, nothing in particular, but with a precious ingredient: There is, in, all their humanity."