Stranger’s generous act is a shock on Cara’s birthday

A RANDOM act of kindness was the icing on the cake for Cara Robertson as she celebrated turning 16.

There was already a big surprise in store for the teenager from Cirencester as her gran was already hiding in the restaurant, for her celebratory breakfast, having travelled down from Stirlingshire in Scotland to mark the occasion.

But when the family went to pay their bill at Côte Brasserie in the town’s Black Jack Street, they were told it had already been settled by a customer who had just left.

“We couldn’t believe someone would do that, it was such an extremely kind gesture,” said mum, Mariae.

“We were vaguely aware of a man sitting at a table near us and he wouldn’t be able to not notice what was going on as we had a load of balloons and the restaurant was fairly quiet so he was well within earshot to hear what we were saying.”

Just before Cara arrived, Mariae’s other daughter Natalie, 22 was helping staff at the restaurant to hide granny Sheena behind some curtains.

“Another customer had laughed at the commotion saying it was going to be a good party if it was starting that early in the day, so it was obvious from all the commotion that we were celebrating,” said Mariae.

“Cara got the shock of her life when granny Sheena popped out to take her order but nothing could have prepared her for the second shock of the day finding her celebration had been paid for by a complete stranger.”

The breakfast bill for the four of them was £42 and although staff at the restaurant were keeping the man’s identity secret, they confirmed he was a regular.

“I dropped a thank you card back in the following day for them to pass on to him. I am just bowled over by his random kindness,” says Mariae.

“It certainly kick-started Cara’s birthday, she is never going to forget it.

“What a lovely gesture and a lovely thing for her to have experienced.”