TWO police officers helped the family of a six-year-old boy by donating food and toys – after an accidental 999 call led them to realise the family were without food.
PCs Laura Massey and Davey Mitchell visited the home of the boy in the town centre after a 999 call was made from the house. When they arrived they found that the call was made accidentally while the child was playing with his mum’s phone.
However the officers discovered that the mother was experiencing financial difficulties after losing her job and there was no food in the house.
As officers left, they decided that they would both bring some of their own personal items in to help the family until the referrals and support were in place.
Inspector Sarah Gilmour said: “After 12 hours, officers had collected a huge amount of food and toys for the family.
“Parents within the team also brought in drawings that their children had made at home in a bid to bring joy and hope to the mother and son.
“Due to the amount of food and toys collected, it was decided that some of the items will be donated to other vulnerable and struggling families in the community.”
Chief Inspector Andy Berriman, who leads response teams in Barnsley, added: “Incidents like these remind us of why people become police officers. We are caring people who want to help and protect our communities and sometimes that is not achieved by arresting criminals. We all need to pull together and support each other to make sure we get through these difficult times.
“The mother was extremely grateful for the donations and the little boy was excited to be able to play and create some of his own drawings with the crafts given.
“I am proud of my officers everyday but their passion and dedication does not go unnoticed.”
