New twist after town raised thousands for street cleaner to go on holiday before he was brutally denied the cash
There's new hope for a street cleaner who received £3,000 in donations from his local community, only to be told by his employer that he couldn't accept the cash.
Paul Spiers, 63, has been keeping the streets of Beckenham tidy since 2017, often listening to Elvis as he went along.
To thank him for his services, locals of the south-east London town helped raise a whopping £3,000 to send Paul on holiday.
However, the street cleaner who is 'adored by all' in the community was denied the chance to go abroad.
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In a cruel twist, Paul's employer Veolia said he couldn't have the money.
They told the Daily Mail: "Our contract with Bromley Council does not permit our staff to accept any monies or incentives outside of agreed pay structures.
"We have agreed with Paul that we will match the amount raised as of Friday 9th August to be donated to a charity of his choice."
Now, amid all the twists and turns, it seems that a package holiday company has stepped in to help.
On the Beach has just run a very 'specific' contest where the winner has to 'love Elvis, be between the ages of 62 and 64, have a surname of Spiers and be a street cleaner in Beckenham and be loved by your local community'.
This loophole seemingly suited Paul down to the ground as he was given access to the £3,000.
Veolia told the outlet that it had 'no objection to him accepting his win'.
Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach said: "Congratulations Paul. Who would have thought that just a day after he was denied a holiday, he would win one in a competition! What are the odds?
"We're all for the fundraised money going to charity, but everyone deserves a holiday, it's one of those moments that we dream of all year round.
"We know how much Paul dreamed of going to Portugal again and so for him to win the competition is fantastic.
"Our holidays to Portugal start from as little as £199pp so we can't wait to see how far the voucher will take Paul, we hope that he has the holiday of a lifetime, a well-deserved one too!"
Meanwhile, a Veolia spokesperson said: "We understand that Paul has won a competition and we can confirm that we have no objection to him accepting his win.
"We are very grateful for the support and recognition shown by the community to Paul, who alongside a hardworking street cleansing team, does a fantastic job keeping Bromley's streets clean.
"Our position regarding the funds raised by the community has not changed and the decision about what happens to that money is a matter for the fundraiser.
"Veolia has matched the amount raised as of Friday 9th August and this will be donated to Cancer Research, a charity close to Paul's heart."
LADbible has contacted Veolia for additional comment.
Anish Vij