TWO youngsters’ kindness was well rewarded when they recently came to a shopper’s aid at Launceston Retail Park.

Eleven-year-old Charlotte and her brother Alfie, 10, were on their second visit to Pets At Home in their home town with their mother Stacey Nott on August 23 — the children having attended a Pet Pal Activity Workshop earlier in the day.

It was there they fell in love with Jemima, a Roborovski dwarf hamster, which was available for adoption.

After Stacey discussed it with her partner, Stacey and the children returned to the store to adopt the pet.

Thinking they would take up time at the till filling out forms, Stacey let a gentleman in front of her in the queue, and realising he had quite a lot of shopping but no carrier bags, she offered Charlotte and Alfie’s help to transport his shopping to his car, to save him several trips.

Charlotte and Alfie (pictured left) returned with £5 from the gentleman, after he’d heard their story about adopting the hamster, which they put towards adopting Jemima.

Stacey, expressing her thanks to the stranger, said: “It was very kind and not expected at all!

“The gentleman was behind us in the queue with a lot of shopping, I let him go in front. The lady at the checkout said would you like a bag, and he said no, he would take a couple of trips. I said you can borrow the children, that’s the only reason I bring them shopping!

“They said they had a little conversation and he said why do you want to adopt the hamster? My daughter said we want to give it a nice life.”

Stacey explained that her children’s primary school has two guinea pigs, which a child can take home to look after at half terms, with their parents’ permission. Last half term, Charlotte and Alfie looked after the guinea pigs, and Stacey said they loved the responsibility, getting up early to making sure they were well cared for.

Jemima is settling in well with her new family, Stacey adding: “She has come out of her shell quite a lot, she’s a lovely little creature.”