A kind-hearted homeless man spent two days attempting to reunite a young woman with her missing handbag.
Daisy Owen lost her handbag containing a £300 iPhone, her house keys and provisional driving licence while on a night out in Bolton.
Homeless Paul Calderbank found the bag outside a pub and spent two full days walking the streets determined to give it back to 20-year-old Daisy.
Paul, who did not want the bag to fall into the wrong hands, chatted to everyone he could in the street to see if anyone could point him in her direction.
Daisy Owen (left) lost her handbag containing a £300 iPhone, her house keys and provisional driving licence while on a night out in Bolton, but it was found by Paul Calderbank (right)
Luckily, he spoke to one of her friends, who messaged her on Facebook and let her know the bag was safe.
Daisy, from Breightmet, near Bolton, said: ‘Most people second guess homeless people.
‘If I was in that position then I would have sold all of the stuff to improve my life – but Paul didn’t.
‘My faith has genuinely been restored in humanity – it’s amazing. He was still going hungry and on the streets even though he had my £10 note in the bag.’
Paul, who could barely afford food and lives in a hostel, did not take a penny of Daisy’s money.
He attached a note to the handbag to ensure he would not get into trouble, as he was concerned somebody would assume he had stolen it.
Paul attached a note to the handbag to ensure he would not get into trouble, as he was concerned somebody would assume he had stolen it
Paul also said that he ‘couldn’t wait to do some detective work’ to track Daisy down
The note read: ‘Did not want to tell anyone in town because they would have tried to blag me saying it is one of there (sic) friends.
‘Can’t trust anyone in town and was worried in case anyone thought I was keeping it.’
The note goes on to say: ‘I want to locate the true owner and personally hand all her belongings back to her, because I am an honest person now, because to me it feels so good to do the right thing.
‘There is money in the purse and I have not taken a penny.’
Paul also said that he ‘couldn’t wait to do some detective work’ to track Daisy down.
Daisy (pictured) said Paul took her aside and asked her for her address to check she was the correct person
Daisy said: ‘I got a message off a friend asking if I lost all my stuff.
‘He said that a homeless man had been stopping all girls around my age and asking them if he knew Daisy Owen.
‘As soon as I got the message I raced straight into Bolton. I was trying to talk to all the homeless people I could see.
‘I had just about admitted defeat when I saw a group of three homeless people and asked them.’
Daisy said Paul took her aside and asked her for her address to check she was the correct person.
She said: ‘He was going to walk all the way to my house to make sure it got there safely.
‘It is incredible that he literally searched for two days to try and find me so that he could give it to me personally.
‘He said that he used to be an honest man and that being kind gives him a buzz.’
Daisy has repaid Paul’s kindness by setting up a fundraising page to try and get him a permanent home, some winter clothes or some hot food.
So far the page has already raised over £500.
Daisy added: ‘I just really home that I can pay him back in the way of this fundraising.
‘At the moment he is staying in a hostel, but he can’t afford it any more so I either want to put the money towards a deposit on a flat or few months at the hostel.’