A pensioner’s public thank you to a stranger who paid her shopping bill

Norma Bishop with Joe Brennan

Joe Brennan paid for a pensioner’s shopping after she’d forgotten her purse and was tracked down and publicly thanked for his good deed.

Norma Bishop was embarrassed when she realised at the checkout of Home Bargains that she had left her money back at her house, but little did she know that 20-year-old Joe Brennan was standing behind her digging into his own pockets.

The kind young man then insisted on paying Norma’s bill despite her refusing numerous times – and said that there was no way he was letting her walk home for the cash.

Norma said that the act “restored my faith in the human race” after the occurrenceon Tuesday 29 March. The 69 year old lady racked Joe down and gave him the money back  along with a thank you card.

She said: “This lovely young man restored my faith in the Human race today.

“He paid for my shopping, and wouldn't take no for an answer. I managed to find out where he worked, went home, got purse and a lovely thank you card for a lovely young man. Thank you once again Joe!”

Joe, from Castleton, said that it is Norma that deserves the praise: “She's the hero because she came over to my work about an hour or so after with the nicest card and the money inside

“I had my wallet in my hand and she was still looking for the purse. I just thought I can't let her go all the way home to come back so I gave the assistant the money for her shopping, think it only came to £6.17.

“Norma kept insisting that she'd go home and come back but of course I couldn’t let her do that. I had the money so why not.”

He added: “She gave me a hug, thanked me and I went back to work. She didn’t have to come and find me, what a lovely lady.”