OAP: ‘I won’t forget how kind she was’

Retired police sergeant Arthur Bennett, 84, of Caton, was shopping in Aldi on Morecambe Road on Saturday teatime when he realised he had forgotten his wallet.

Out-of-the-blue a young woman in her 20s with her young son standing behind Arthur in the queue delved into her bag and produced a £20 note and said: “I’ll pay for that, I’m sure you’ve been kind to other people in your life. ”

Arthur said: “I were right choked up. I got a bit upset about being stupid enough to forget my wallet. It’s something you don’t expect.

“I said I would pay her back but she refused and saidI could give it to charity.

“I had some loose change in my pocket which I offered to give to her but she said to give it to her littlelad.

“I came out and waited for her to offer a lift but she had a car.When I told my daughter she said ‘we’ll put it on Facebook’ and she got a reaction from so many people. It was such an out-of-the-blue act of kindness.

“I thought it was really terrific and you don’t often come across it.

“I won’t forget how kind she was and how much I was touched. She has restored my faith in humanity.

“I will be donating the £12.50 the woman paid for my shopping to a refugee charity.”

Beverley Collinson, Arthur’s daughter, said: “My dad was so touched it made him cry.”