PAPERBOY GIVES UP ROUND AFTER BIKE IS STOLEN
RESORT R ARTIST TO AUCTION OFF F O FUNDS HIS FOR PAINTINGS NEW BIKE TO RAISE
A CLEETHORPES paperboy has given up his round after a thief stole his bike. Despite having the bike taken from outside the Cleethorpes newsagent’s, the 14-year-old went on to deliver the newspapers on foot to his customers.
His family do not want the teenager to be named, but said he was devastated by the theft of his cycle and decided to give up the round.
His grandmother said: “He didn’t want to let
A grown man robbing a child is absolutely disgusting – I just want him to know their are quiet forces for good out there, so I’m going to auction these three sketches towards a kitty for a new bike for him Resort artist Matthew Kay
his customers down because many of them are elderly so he went on foot. But he is devastated and has packed in the round because of what happened.” She added: “He stood talking g to the man before he went into the shop. He even held the door open for him. But he said he was going to finish off his cigarette and then just went off on his bike. “He needs his bike for school when he gets back. It has affected him badly.” The grandmother said the cycle was a gift from his mother. CCTV captured the moment the thief took the cycle as the 14-year-old was in the Lifestyle Express on Grimsby Road early in the morning on January 4. Cleethorpes artist Matthew Kay heard about the theft and set up an online auction of some of his paintings. The former fish filleter told the Grimsby Telegraph: “A grown man robbing a child is absolutely disgusting.
“Not only is this theft but highly traumatising for the poor lad. Just a good lad trying to earn some pocket money.
“I just want him to know their are quiet forces for good out there, so I’m going to auction these three sketches towards a kitty for a new bike for him.”
Matthew just turned self-employed when the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a national lockdown. He said paintings of Grimsby docks reflected his passion for the people and the area in which he has lived and worked all his life.
The grandmother said: “It is a lovely gesture. It has given my grandson renewed faith in people again.
“He has thought about it and wants the money raised to be used for cycles for the other paperboys and girls or somewhere safe so they can lock their bikes when they are in the shop.”
She added: “Words can’t express how grateful we are to the artist.”
Bids for the paintings can be registered before midnight tonight by logging on to his Facebook page Matt Dnahsnam Kay.