Well, they do say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And clearly that’s what Oxford City Council thinks of Icolyn Smith’s efforts.

The 81-year-old has, for the last 22 years, run a soup kitchen for the homeless in Manzil Way, East Oxford.

Every Wednesday, ‘Ma’ as she’s known, provides a roast dinner for about 50 people and her work featured in last week’s The Secret Millionaire TV programme.

However, city council managers who have funded the project in the past have now refused Mrs Smith’s most recent application for a grant of £8,000.

According to a city council spokesman: “Their application was declined because research has shown that this kind of facility encourages rough sleeping.”

Clearly, as far as Oxford City council is concerned, anyone who helps donate food or even compassion is only helping encourage the scourge of homelessness, and doubtless they would rather we all walked on by.

But good for Mrs Smith for refusing to be downtrodden.

As she said: “I’m not going to beg them – I shall just keep going because these people need someone to care for them.”