A 93-year-old who lives alone has sent a handwritten thank you to a five-year-old neighbour who wrote to check in on him amid the UK lockdown.

Ron, a grandfather from the West Midlands, said he was “so pleased” to receive the correspondence from Kirah, whose family he had only ever seen in passing before the letter.

“I just wanted to check to see if you’re ok?” wrote Kirah.

“I have drawn you a rainbow to remind you that you are not alone. Please write back if you can. From your neighbour at number 9.”

Ron sent a response to Kirah telling her he was “keeping well so far”.

“It was so nice to hear of your concern for me,” he wrote.

“I was the first person to move into the crescent in 1955 and I have been here ever since.

“The situation with the coronavirus is very bad, and we must all do our very best to overcome it and hopefully come out of it in good health again.

“I thought your drawing of the rainbow was amazing and I am going to place it in my window for people to see.

“I would like to thank you again for writing to me and hope you will be able to be out of isolation soon – from Ron at number 24.”

Ron’s granddaughter Louisa Smith, 23, shared photographs of the correspondence on Twitter where it has been shared tens of thousands of times.

Ms Smith told the PA news agency Ron does not know Kirah’s family particularly well and has only seen them in passing.

“It was purely spontaneous,” the primary school teacher said.

“In the current circumstances I think that it is just wonderful to see uplifting stories like this… It’s particularly lovely in an age of technology that they are handwritten letters.

“No matter the circumstance, goodwill and a kind heart will always bring generations together.”