A BLACKBURN brewer has helped make a five-year-old's Christmas come early -- a whole 12 months early!

For Daniel Thwaites are inviting Oliver Harkness to switch on the brewery's famous Christmas star later this year after his grandmother sent staff a Christmas card.

In the card Mrs Betty Butcher said Oliver saw the star on top of the brewery roof and insisted it was the Star of Bethlehem.

Thwaites' only problem was in finding Mrs Butcher because she had left no contact details in the card.

Brewery officials contacted the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, readers were quick to help out.

Mrs Butcher, who works at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, said: "Oliver is absolutely delighted to be asked to switch the star on."

Oliver and Mrs Butcher were special guests of Thwaites and were given a exclusive tour of the brewery with Carol Aspden, Thwaites' marketing services manager.