'Loneliness can make you feel like you're losing identity'

Loneliness can make you feel like you are losing your identity, a widower who lives alone has said.

Val, 76, of Newport, will see her daughter at Christmas, but thousands of others across Wales will not see or hear from anyone for three days over the festive period.

Age Cymru estimates 3,600 over-65s will spend it alone, while 75,000 admitted it was not a special time for them.

Helpline The Silver Line has already received 10,000 more calls at the beginning of December than it did in the two weeks over Christmas last year.

Val, who has been receiving weekly calls from the service, said it made her feel like she was "still a person".