A caring couple have travelled hundreds of miles through Europe to deliver an elderly neighbour's ashes to her family in Switzerland.

William, 34, and Mel Pidsley, 42, lived below Vincent and Hildergard White in Suffolk Square, Cheltenham, for many years and helped the elderly couple out wherever possible.

Two years ago, Mr White died and in March this year the couple and daughter Lucy, eight, were saddened further by Mrs White's death in her 90s.

After the funeral in Cheltenham, Mrs White's elderly brother Robert had planned to return home to Switzerland with the ashes but the casket was too heavy.

Mr and Mrs Pidsley looked into posting them but after two companies refused to transport them they decided to make sure Mrs White arrived safe and sound.

Mr Pidsley, 34, said: "We moved in below them about 10 years ago and they were an elderly couple. If they needed a light bulb changing I would go and do that.

"When her daughter used to come and visit from Paris I would go and pick her up from Eurostar and over time we got to know them very well.

"They had met in Egypt when he was in the army and had been big socialites out there living a wonderful life.

"We would hear all sorts of stories about parties in palaces, diving and swimming. They travelled all over the world on cruise boats.

"Sadly he died about two years ago and then she died in March this year. Her daughter Hilary and brother Robert came over for the funeral.

"We arranged for the ashes to be done quickly so that Robert could take them back to Geneva but they weighed in at two kilograms.

"He asked us to post them and we rang a few companies but they said they would not take them because there was no value so that if they lost them they would not be able to pay compensation.

Robert had said we should visit him to repay our kindness so we decided to travel, have a bit of a holiday, and make sure they got there safely.

"We set off and went to Padstow surfing where some of the younger people in the group found it all a bit bizarre that we had Hildergard under the seat in the car.

"We then got a ferry over to France and were travelling for 11 days there stopping for camping and some surfing before we got to Geneva.

"When we got there we took a bottle of wine and when I went to get the ashes Robert said more wine and I had to explain it was Hildergard. He then put them away safely, he was very grateful."

Mrs Pidsley, 43, said: "I have to admit when we first met Hildergard we thought she was quite a dragon but when we got to know her she was an absolute darling.

"She had such an interesting life and fabulous history and we would sit and have a gin and tonic and she would tell me about her travels and life in Egypt. She was so elegant and very proud. I thought taking her to Geneva was going to be quite bizarre but actually it felt really good to be taking her home.

"She always said we would go to Switzerland together but she got poorly so we never did but she was always right and in the end she was.

"It felt really good because her only wish was that she wanted to go back to Switzerland and be buried with her parents and it was really lovely to make that happen."