Nottingham police officers pay for homeless boy's presents

The presents were placed in a police van in the run up to Christmas Day

A homeless boy has been bought presents by officers after he turned up at a police station with only a bin bag.

Nottinghamshire Police said a 12-year-old went to Nottingham's Radford Road station a few weeks before Christmas.

After he was placed with a foster family, officers gathered £130 in cash and other donations to make sure he had gifts at Christmas.

Officers said "the case had really stuck" with the team and colleagues from across the force had helped.

'Heartbreaking story'

The boy, who spent a few hours with officers at the station a few weeks ago, was presented with wrapped gifts shortly before Christmas Day.

He was given a selection of presents including a football kit, golf putting set, a jumper and toiletries, the force said.

PC Megan Barnard said: "As officers it's sometimes very easy to forget about an incident as we have to move so quickly onto the next and sometimes that's the only way we can cope with what we see and deal with.

"But this case has really stuck with a lot of officers and especially myself after hearing his heartbreaking story.

"It's amazing to see officers coming together and raising all this money so we could make him smile and gift him things he both needed and wanted."