Tesco customer left stunned after ‘kindest act anyone had ever done’ by woman in shop

A Tesco customer has been left stunned after a woman in the shop performed the “kindest act anyone had ever done”.

David Roche, 54, was shopping at Tesco Extra in Cables Retail Park in Prescot, Merseyside, on Sunday afternoon when the act of kindness took place.

The 54-year-old was waiting at the checkout to pay for his shopping, just minutes before the shop closed at 4pm.

When he got to the front of the queue, he realised he had forgotten his wallet and asked the cashier if he could keep the store open while Roche rushed home to grab his wallet.

The checkout assistant told him that it wasn’t possible to keep the store open for him and instead suggested using his phone to pay.

But Roche didn’t have the pay app downloaded on his phone, so was unable to make his purchase that way.

Just as he was about to leave in despair, the woman in front of him in the queue turned around and said: “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the shopping.”

Roche, who works in food production, was stunned by the gesture describing her as a “godsend” and a “guardian angel”.

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He told the Liverpool ECHO: I couldn’t believe it. Everyone around us actually gasped at her act of kindness.

“I told her it was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for me. I thanked her from the bottom of my heart.”

The young woman, who Roche believes to be in her mid-20s paid £25.79 for his shopping and bought just a £3 birthday card herself.

When he thanked her for her kindness, all she said was “just pay it forward”.

Roche tried to catch up with her after leaving the store, in order to thank her again and pay her back, but couldn’t reach her in time.

He added: “It’s restored my faith in humanity, for a total stranger to do that. There are definitely some good people out there.

“I would of course love to do something in future to pay it forward like she said.”

Roche wants to track down his “guardian angel” – who he says had brown hair and wore a white t-shirt and black trousers – to give her the recognition she deserves.