Police officers clubbed together to buy Christmas presents for a boy after he was left with nothing.
The 12-year-old boy, who was homeless, turned up at Radford Road police station with only a black bin bag is now going to have presents to open on Christmas Day after officers raised £130 from their own pockets.
Nottinghamshire Police officers have been out and bought him a selection of presents including a football kit, golf putting set, a jumper and toiletries.
Gifts have also been donated by officers alongside the money raised.
The youngster, who spent a few hours with officers at the station a few weeks ago, is now in a foster home and was presented with wrapped gifts on Wednesday evening (22 December) in preparation for the big day.
After spending time with the boy, officers all pitched in with money from their own pockets to make sure he knew that he was deserving of presents and to make him smile.
Constable Megan Barnard, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “As officers it’s sometimes very easy to forget about an incident as we have to move so quickly onto the next and sometimes that’s the only way we can cope with what we see and deal with.
“But this case has really stuck with a lot of officers and especially myself after hearing his heartbreaking story.
“With it being Christmas and knowing how tough the holidays can be for people sometimes after going through something like this and being left with nothing we decided to try and raise some money to make sure he had something to open on Christmas Day.
“It’s amazing to see officers coming together and raising all this money so we could make him smile and gift him things he both needed and wanted.
“I was touched by the amazing response we received from members of the policing family from departments and the team and other teams who had no direct link to this young man but who felt touched by his story.
“We want to show him that the experiences he’s seen and been through so far in his life shouldn’t dictate who he is as a person and he can overcome them with the support of those around him.
“Being a police officer isn’t just about arresting people and catching criminals – it’s about more than that and situations like this show that we are human beings and are there to support anyone who needs us.
“It’s really lovely to see him doing so well in a new home and being looked after.
“This is a case that will stay with a lot of officers for a long time and it’s amazing to see us all coming together to help him celebrate Christmas.”
City Council Leader, councillor David Mellen, said: “This is a heart-warming story showing the true spirit of Christmas is very much alive, where people are helping others less fortunate than themselves.
“Our wonderful family of foster carers display this incredible compassion every day, welcoming children and young people into their homes, including in emergency situations like this.
“A young boy will now thankfully spend Christmas enjoying the kindness of the police officers and the security of a loving home.”
