DAVID Rogers fought back the tears as he told how he would miss the hot meals and the WRVS volunteer he described as being "his saviour".

The 89-year-old has been receiving meals on wheels twice weekly for nearly two years.

He said: "It's a monstrous decision. These volunteers are wonderful people, the atmosphere totally changes when they call. They will do anything for you."

Mr Rogers, from Gaer, wearing special glasses as he recovers from a cataract operation, has grown close to WRVS volunteer Maggie Matthews, who delivers a hot meal to his door every Thursday.

He describes her as being "like a sister", and refers to her as "Mags fach" or "dear Mags".

He said: "Meals on wheels and the volunteers have been my saviour - I know that I have a good meal.

"I think it is a dreadful decision, especially for the small amount of money that will be saved. Meals on wheels means so much to people."

For the past ten years Ms Matthews, a WRVS volunteer, has been delivering hot meals to Newport's most vulnerable residents.

To the people she visits she provides not only a hot meal, but also a warm smile and a sympathetic ear, and is a familiar face for elderly residents.

She said: "For many of these people we are their only link to the outside world. They look forward to our visits as we always have a chat and a banter."

For Stow Hill's Derek Talbot, a wheelchair-bound diabetic whose legs have been amputated as a result of his illness, the meals are a lifeline.

He said: "It's awful, it's been years and years and suddenly they are just stopping it.

"I enjoy having the meals hot, not frozen, and I look forward to Maggie's visits.

"She's always so bright and friendly, I'm going to miss her."

Maggie said: "The hot meals really make a difference. If they aren't feeling good at least they will have a pick at the hot meals.

"If they have to heat up a frozen meal they just won't bother - I'm worried that's what is going to happen."

Each Thursday morning Stow Hill resident Harold Williams stands on his doorstep, waiting for the green council van to pull up on its first stop.

Mr Williams, 88, said: "I don't know what I am going to do now.

"I can't boil an egg, let alone cook a meal."

Mr Williams' neighbour, Vince Marenghi, said he was concerned about how Mr Williams would cope when the meals stop in June.

He said: "I think it's disgusting, the council is letting our elderly people down. Harold will find it difficult to cope without them."

The day's menu of steak and kidney pie and bread and butter pudding is delivered in insulated boxes, hot from the ovens at the Ringland community centre.

And when a client doesn't answer or can't be found the volunteers pull out all the stops to make sure they are safe and well and receive their meal.

Maggie said: "We just won't give up. We will do everything in our power to make sure everything is well."

On this week's round this included spending almost an hour searching for the correct address of an elderly client who had recently left hospital, to ensure he got his meal.

Maggie said: "I just don't think a private company would go to these sort of lengths."