The heartwarming moment an elderly Preston couple were reunited for the first time since March

Julia and Stewart Preston had been unable to see each other since March, because they lived in separate care homes and were prevented from visiting by the coronavirus restrictions .

So it was with beaming smiles that the pair were finally reunited at Walton House care home near Preston for the first time in six agonising months, after a bed became available in the room next door to Julia.

Following a stroke 13 years ago, 76-year-old Julia was left with cognitive problems, meaning she often became confused and needed a higher level of care. She became a resident of the Chorley Road care home four years ago.

But it was daily visits on his scooter from husband Stewart, 79, who resided at nearby Lostock Lodge, that kept their love blooming when they were no longer able to look after themselves.

It was when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, that granddaughter Emma Russ said she noticed the wellbeing of her grandparents begin to deteriorate.

They had been forced to isolate separately without visits from friends or family ever since.

"They were both in different care homes that were tailored best to the care they needed. Before lockdown, they would still see each other every day because my grandad was still very mobile and would go and see her on his scooter," said Emma, 31.

"It was when lockdown hit that everything changed. My grandad isn't the same anymore and wouldn't be able to visit her now. He used to take walks to the pub, socialise and live very independently but now that has been taken away from him. It is almost like looking at a different person."

Six months would be the longest time that Julia and Stewart had ever been apart from one another since their marriage more than 50 years ago.

Stewart was originally born in Scotland and had spent many his younger years in the merchant navy before meeting Lancashire-born Julia, who worked as a nurse - and marrying her in her home town of Lancaster.

After she suffered a stroke 13 years ago, Julia's daughter Anne-Marie became her full-time carer until her condition developed to the point where she needed around the clock supervision.

Granddaughter Emma said: "There was a point in May where my nana was so poorly and they let us go and see her because they thought she was dying. She couldn't open her eyes and wasn't conscious at all. As a family we all felt it that it was because of the lockdown and her not having social contact or seeing my grandad.

"Before they were reunited it was so upsetting, especially when I think back to how poorly she was and the effects the lockdown has had on her mentally. Older people in homes are generally so isolated and some care homes are just leaving residents in their rooms. I understand the safeguarding measures taken by these care homes to protect residents from Covid, but the other effects of it are just as bad or worse.

"I have come to realise that there's no quality of life at all for those living in care homes at the minute. There was one point where Walton House allowed one key family member in the home for a half an hour distanced visit, but then infection rates began to increase again in Preston so they went back to stopping visits because they are scared."

From conversations over the phone during isolation, Emma said her grandad had spoken of his difficulty dealing with feelings of isolation, boredom and heartache at being separated from loving partner Julia.

And after her sister Laura gave birth to her first baby in lockdown, Stewart and Julia weren't even able to hold their new grandchild because of the restrictions.

This all came to an end when an empty bed became available at Walton House in the room next door to Julia's. Stewart snatched it up without a thought and was desperate to see his wife for the first time in months.

Much to the family's surprise, Stewart has already spoken about wife Julia 'driving him crazy' just four short days after being reunited!

Smiling and laughing together, Emma posted the heartwarming picture of them to social media site Twitter, which attracted almost 3,000 likes and hundreds of responses.

Emma said: "It is absolutely the longest time they've ever gone without each other which has been hard. My grandad is more savvy with technology so for us as a family, them living together means we can talk to them a lot more.

"The smile on my nana's face when she saw my grandad for the first time was amazing. She rarely smiles like that so it really speaks volumes. I was so happy to see them together again after so long.

"The staff at Walton House have been brilliant helping him settle in. In terms of the guidelines of us still not being able to see them, I feel conflicted. A lot of carehomes don't have the right guidelines or precuations in place for them to feel safe and confident in allowing visitors. The safety of their residents is the most important thing to them."

Manager of Walton House, Janet Harris said: "It is so lovely that Stewart and Julia can be back together again. He used to visit her often on his scooter and was a familiar face at Walton House.

"I managed to get him a room next door to Julia which has been great because we are more than able to accommodate for them both. Julia seems so much happier now Stewart is back with her, it is lovely to see."