The small plastic tree with a single strand of tinsel went up early as Rebeka Stewart tried to cheer up her three little girls in lockdown.
But it stands in the corner of the room as a stark reminder of how hard Christmas will be this year for a family already struggling before Covid.
Rebeka, 28, says: “Last year we had a pack of four meats from Aldi and the girls got clothes as well as their main presents. “This year we have nothing, Christmas dinner will be sausages and mash. "There’s no point complaining, this thing has hit everyone, but when you’re already struggling it hits you that bit harder.” Living in an area of Middlesbrough where 76% of children are growing up in poverty, the highest rate in the UK, Rebeka will shower