A big-hearted secret Santa brought some much-needed Christmas cheer to a cash-strapped single mother when they posted £100 in cash through her letter box to help her buy presents for her son.

Claire Rock, 44, had been fretting about Christmas due to major money worries and feared she wouldn't be able to give five-year-old John the presents she felt he deserved.

However, the stunned mother-of-three then returned to her home in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, last week to find that a mysterious stranger had left her the £100, complete with a touching note.

Claire Rock, 44, from Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, had been worrying she wouldn't be able to buy presents for son John, five, when a neighbour put £100 through her door

The anonymous letter said: 'To Claire, I know life has been tough the last few months, and it's hard to stay positive when it feels like nothing is going your way.

'Please accept this as a gift to help keep the magic of Christmas so special for wee John.

'We all know it's not all about the money, but we know too that Christmas costs a fortune. Stay positive.

The stunned mother-of-three returned home last week to find that a mysterious stranger had left her the £100, complete with this touching note

'Love from a fellow human.'

Support worker Ms Rock, said she had been left overwhelmed by the note and unexpected gift.

'I just burst into tears,' she said. 'I want others to know that there are so many kind people out there.

'We focus too much on the negativity at times, especially when there's so many problems with terrorism and governments.

'I have two grown up children, Conan and Sophie, and it's made us more determined to do something good, like volunteering over Christmas.