A litter picker was almost reduced to tears after two teenagers offered to help him clean a beach up after people left it a mess.
Steve Taylor was cleaning up around New Brighton Promenade on 1 April when two girls approached him.
The volunteer, who is from New Brighton, Merseyside, was 'taken aback' when the teenagers offered to pay him £5 and helped him.
The two girls, called Frankie and Katie, even took the litter away to get rid of it for Steve.
Advert
The 64-year-old told the Liverpool Echo: "I was clearing an area of park and there were about 20 to 30 teenagers in the park.
"They were surrounded by masses of litter, it's been accumulated over the past week.
"I was a bit apprehensive at first, I skirted around the park to avoid them but then two girls came up to me.
"They approached me and what they did next I was taken aback by.
Advert
"I don't have the best experiences with youngsters, and I can't say I've had many positive encounters, but this was remarkable.
"They said 'we've been watching you're doing a really good job.'"
Steve said at first he felt nervous as litter pickers tend to face hostility.
He explained: "One of them waved a fiver under my nose and I said 'I can't take that, I'm not doing it for payment, I do it because I live here and I don't want to see it looking like that.'
Advert
"They insisted and said the litter didn't belong to them.
"In the end the girl who had the fiver put the £5 in the green bin bag and said 'you'll have to take it now it's litter.'
"That brought the discussion to an end, so I said I'll give it to charity."
Steve added: "Then they took a bag off me and they said 'we'll dispose of the rest' and that I don't have to worry about it.
Advert
"I was almost in tears with their attitude. They were so thoughtful and decent kids, it was a wonderful encounter."
He then shared his experience on a local community Facebook group, saying the parents of the girls 'should be proud'.
He said: "So tonight, I encountered the other face of the 'yoof of today'.
"The kind, considerate side. Thank you, Frankie and Katie. Your parents should be proud of you.️
Advert
"As a footnote the £5 will be going to charity. Thank you girls."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: UK News