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Three Peterborough teenagers praised after finding lost cash
Jake Harding, Darryl Edwards and Connor Burdock found a bag containing shopping and hundreds of pounds in cash on Central Avenue, and phoned the police to hand it back to its rightful owner.
THREE honourable teenagers from Peterborough have been praised for helping to reunite an elderly woman with a shopping bag containing hundreds of pounds in cash.
The trio of 13-year-olds from Dogsthorpe found the bag near Cheetans Mini Market, in Chestnut Avenue, on their way home from the Thomas Deacon Academy, in Queen’s Gardens, on Thursday afternoon.
Beneath a layer of doggy treats, the group – Connor Burdock, Darryl Edwards and Jake Harding – found a Blackberry mobile phone and a purse containing a wad of cash, as well as bank cards and train tickets.
Darryl, of Poplar Avenue, said his first thought was for the owner of the bag.
He said: “I felt sorry for the person who lost it.”
The resourceful boys then searched on the phone for contact details in the hope of tracing the owner, but the only number listed was a taxi firm.
They called the number, and the person who answered said they would come to collect the bag in five minutes in return for a reward.
The boys then called the police to report the discovery of the lost items.
However, before officers had the chance to arrive the owner of the shopping bag, an elderly woman in a mobility scooter, appeared from around the corner to re-discover her belongings.
Darryl said: “It was nearly at the end of the police conversation.
“She came round the corner and said ‘that’s my bag’ and said ‘thank you’.”
The boys at first declined a reward, but the woman, who was due to head to London the following day, insisted and gave them £3 each.
This was spent, perhaps unsurprisingly, on sweets.
The youngsters have been richly praised for their actions.
A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire police said: “The boys showed great initiative and thanks to their investigations were able to reunite the lady with her bag.”
The Mayor of Peterborough Cllr Paula Thacker, meanwhile, said she was so impressed by the boys’s sense of civic duty she said she would like to hear from them to arrange a meeting at the Mayor’s Parlour in Town Hall, in Bridge Street.
She said: “If they want to get in touch with me and see me in the parlour they are very welcome to.”
She added: “They are showing how the citizens in Peterborough should act when they come across anything.
“I think it’s wonderful.”
Darryl’s proud mum Caroline Greenwood (32), of Poplar Avenue, said: “I was really, really proud. I was proud my son could do something like that.”
She added: “I know there have been a lot of problems down Central Avenue with teenagers with anti-social behaviour. It just shows they are not all the same.
“I don’t believe in labelling people, it just proves they are not all the same.
“No matter what people think there are good kids out there.”
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Comments
There are 24 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
pepsi
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 09:22 PMSo the first thing the taxi firm tell the boys is, we want a reward. Good job she never left it in the back of one of there cabs
MrsEye
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 08:31 PMDoes it really matter how much these lads received? Fair enough, if the elderly lady was ridiculously rich then £3 each is tight. But I'm guessing she wasn't and in my opinion, she was very generous. But well done lads, it's refreshing to see nice, honest teenagers these days.
doggo
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 06:24 PMI didn't say you couldn't comment kaygie - I merely disagreed with part of what you wrote, that is also freedom of speech
Johnny T
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 05:31 PMHonesty isn't always the best policy, crime pays.............
Johnny T
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 05:30 PMWhat a load of rubbish! It's not about money grabbing, it's about recognising good in people and a reward fitting to the deed. Had the boys have been dishonest, they'd have pocketed all the cash, eaten the dog food and sold the Blackberry. The point I'm making is most yoofs reading this would now keep the find, I'd bet my house on it!
Gwendoline Horseradish
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 04:47 PM@18 - Freedom of speach? Well, something very similar.
PottyBoroPensioner
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 04:32 PMdoggo @17 need to realise this page is hear for us to make our own comments and if you disagree maybe you shouldnt read the comments as i belive its called freedom of speach
doggo
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 03:41 PMJohny T @15 - Another one blaming the lady when you do no know all the facts -perhaps the boys did not want any more money, having initially refused a reward, perhaps knowing they had done the right thing was reward enough to these young lads - Not everyone is a money-grabber like some of the posters here
doggo
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 03:36 PMkaygie @11 and feduppete @12 - What mean-spirited comments about the lady who lost the money. If you took the trouble to read the report fully you will note that, to their great credit, the boys REFUSED a reward, and the lady had to insist. Probably a tenner between the 3 of them was what they felt comfortable in accepting.
Johnny T
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 03:31 PMEvery part of this story makes good reading, until you see the 'elderly woman' rewarded them with £3 each. I'm sorry, but they should have been 'rewarded' at least £20 each, firstly because £20 doesn't buy you much these days and secondly because a £3 reward and publicising it will only encourage others not behave like this. I'm sure any kid reading this story will definitely keep their findings next time and good luck to them. What a mean old woman. The ET could have rebalanced this and paid them £20 for their story............................
lilmiss
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:54 PMThis is a great story and yes they are certainly a credit to parents who have done a very good job. To HollygoLula there have been some other stories in the ET that show teenagers can be very giving, kind and thoughtful not just the often reported little thugs. Unfortunately they were in the newspaper at the same time as the young madam that caused the "twittergate" scandal and even though one lad was of to south africa to help teach youngsters there the dangers of AIDs and HIV and one was of to China to help teach English to young children, The ET felt they were not worthy of the front page. I am sorry but I do not remember theirs names but as like the three above. A big well done for showing us all teenagers can be GREAT!!!!!
Miss Piggy
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:22 PMWell done boys! You are a credit to your parents, your school and the community. How about having you in the front seats for the Olympic torch celebrations in June, as well as tea and buns in the Mayor's Parlour? What do you think PCC?
feduppete
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:16 PMA Blackberry mobile phone and a purse containing a wad of cash, as well as bank cards and train tickets. What's an OAP doing with a Blackberry? Most would think it's something they pick from hedges. A wad of cash and railcards? Sounds distinctly dodgy to me. I thought all OAP'S were supposed to be hard up? She won't want their heating allowance this year then? Anyway lads well done for your honesty anyway. 3 miserable quid as a reward. She ought to be ashamed of herself.
PottyBoroPensioner
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:13 PMWell done lads I would of gave you a bit more than £3 Sound a bit of a dodgy OAP Shes not giving out the right message for anyone else who finds a bag of cash. As she had lost the cash she should have gave them at least £20 each.
Amanda J Porter
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 01:33 PMAw, well done boys. The elderly lady is very lucky that it was you who found her bag.
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