An elderly St Albans resident has thanked the 'kindness' of two strangers who helped her after she was left stranded following a breakdown.

On the hottest day of the year last month (June 26), 80-year-old Linda Williams was driving with her son when her car suffered a puncture and the pair became stranded on Sandridge High Street.

Linda says she was left feeling "isolated and abandoned".

She contacted the RAC immediately and was told that they would be sending a patrol van "as soon as possible".

This was at 6.30pm and the temperature in the car was 33 degrees.

As the hours ticked by, no help was forthcoming and at 8.45pm Linda took refuge in the Green Man pub.

The RAC informed her that they would arrive by 10.30pm, but as 11pm neared, nothing was happening.

After charging her phone and having something to eat at the pub, she returned to her car to continue to wait.

Shortly after 11pm, a man came out of his house and asked what the problem was.

Almost simultaneously, "a van came from the opposite direction and offered to help".

With the help of the two strangers, Linda had her tyres pumped and battery started, allowing her to drive home and make it safely back to St Albans just before midnight.

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She said it's "terrifying" to think how long she would have been left waiting if not for the generosity of the two strangers.

The 80-year-old added: "To stop and help us was just so kind. Without those two people we don't know how long we would have been stuck there. We had already been there for five hours.

"It shows that there are so many good people and so much good in the world."

Linda has sent a card to the pub thanking them for their support and telling them what happened.

The RAC has offered its apologies to Linda and £50 in compensation.