A BLACKBURN mum has recorded a festive video message for her son, who is away serving in Afghanistan for the first time.

Pam Bamber, 48, contacted the Lancashire Telegraph after reading of our offer to record videos to send to loved ones for Christmas.

The video has been uploaded onto our website so her only son Vinny can watch it.

Vinny is serving with the Kings Royal Hussars and left for Afghanistan in September.

Pam usually works on Christmas Day as a care assistant at an old people's home, but isn't doing this year.

She said: "I think it's going to be twice as hard to deal with this year.

"Usually I work at Christmas and that would have helped me concentrate on something other Vinny.

"If I didn't have such great friends and hadn't met such kind strangers in the last few months, I don't think I would be able to deal with Christmas.

Vincent, now 20, attended Moorland High School in Darwen before joining the army in November of 2003, shortly before his 17th birthday.

He signed up to the King's Royal Hussars, a cavalry regiment of the British Army.

The regiment is based in Tidworth, Wiltshire, and is where Vincent did his tank driving training.

Vinny is due back in February, just in time for his 21st birthday.