Jim puts paper boy back on the road (From Daily Echo)

Romsey pensioner Jim puts Sholing paper boy back on the road

11:00am Monday 10th December 2012 in News

WHEN Darrel Phillips had his bike stolen from outside the newsagents where he works as a paper boy, he was devastated.

For four months he had saved to enable him to do his deliveries around Sholing in Southampton.

But now thanks to the generosity of Daily Echo reader Jim Gates he is back on two wheels.

After reading about his plight in the paper, Jim decided to offer his grandson’s bike that had been long abandoned in his Romsey garage.

Mr Gates, 72, said: “I thought it was awful that someone had just taken this boy’s bike and I knew I had one just taking up space in the garage so I got in touch.”

Alan Lampard, father of 15-year-old Darrel, said: “He was really gutted when the bike was stolen but this is a fantastic thing for Mr Gates to have done. He is very grateful to him."