A lonely pensioner who put a sign in his window asking for friends after his wife's death has been "overwhelmed" by letters and emails sent from around the world.
Tony Williams lost his wife Jo to pancreatic cancer in May.
Mr Williams put the sign up at his home but also put multiple adverts in the local newspaper and handed out his contact details at supermarkets to try and make some friends.
His poster read: "I find the unremitting silence 24 hours a day unbearable torture."
Soon, his story was picked up by media outlets around the world and an "overwhelming" flurry of letters, emails and calls began flooding in.
They were sent from well-wishers as far as the US, Canada, Australia, the Middle East, Spain and Iceland.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: "I am absolutely bewildered in many ways but so pleased because I have done this for my lovely wife.
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"I have also done if for myself to try and get people to talk to me. It's been quite a difficult task but I have cracked it."
"I've been absolutely inundated with calls, emails and now things in the post," he added.
"The sincerity, the empathy that I have had from all over the world. These people really feel my loneliness as their own grief and sometimes I've been reduced to tears."
He said that one message which stuck in his mind was from a teacher who asked if the children in her class could write him letters.
"I thought that was absolutely sweet. I got back to her to say 'yes, I would absolutely adore that'.
"I said if and when the letters arrive I will go to the school and talk to the children as I think it's fairly local to me.
"I'm totally overwhelmed by a tsunami of what's been happening over the last few days. I'm very, very grateful."
When asked what his advice would be to other pensioners in a similar position, he said: "My advice is to do what I've done.
"Not in necessarily in the same way - but you have somehow go out and meet people. I found it nearly impossible to do with this virus.
"I hope the message goes out that you can find a way out of loneliness."
Mr Williams has had help and support from his neighbours and does have some family but he does not see them regularly.
One of the first to get in touch was television personality Dame Esther Rantzen, who founded the charity Silver Line, which offers a 24-hour phone line for lonely older people.