Teenagers who helped a sobbing homeless man after his belongings were thrown on to train tracks have been hailed as “outstanding members of the community” by a police officer.

PC Jade Symons posted an appeal on Deal Watch on Facebook to find Louis Hayward, 13, James Costin, 13, and Tyler Biddle, 14, after hearing they gave the homeless man £5.

The man, known as Gareth, had collapsed in the street and returned to Victoria Park to find his only belongings had been trashed or chucked on to train tracks.

The Castle Community College pupils were out enjoying the sunshine in the park when they saw some other youths coercing a child to dismantle a tent and throw Gareth’s boots and a camping stove on to the train track.

Louis, a keen skateboarder, said: “We were walking past the park and we saw someone taking apart and smashing up this tent and chucking things over onto the train tracks.”

The trio walked past again and saw Gareth had returned to find his gear damaged and missing.

Louis said: “He was crying his eyes out.

“We went over and James got the money out of his pocket and gave him it. His bottom lip was shaking. He couldn’t say thank you enough. He was really made up about it.”

Tyler, a paper boy and aspiring actor, said: “We just felt sorry for him that somebody would want to do that to him”.

James, who plays football and cricket, added: “We talked to him and he shook all our hands. We said we hope you’re alright and walked off.”

It was money the boys would usually spend on chips and games of pool. Looking back on the situation, they say they wished they had given him more.

Gareth, aged about 35, had been busking with his guitar in Deal High Street.

PC Symons said: “He has fallen on hard times. He’d only been in Deal a short time.”

Before the boys’ kind gesture, the man had collapsed on the bridge in London Road. It is thought it was a result of dehydration and lack of food.

When police found him, he told them he’d been sleeping in his tent in the park. They took him back to find out what had happened.

PC Symons said: “He was in a strange town. He didn’t know anybody and didn’t know how he was going to get home. The only place he had to sleep in had just been taken down.

“Nothing worse could have happened to him that day and that’s when the lads came over and did what they did.”

PC Symons said: “I put it on Facebook just to find out who the lads were. I never thought it would get the response it did.”

Tony Wickendon, who administrates ‘Deal Watch’ said the post, with almost 500 likes, was the most liked he can remember in the history of the page.

Louis’s mum, Emma, saw the post and got in touch with PC Symons who then, one by one, went round to visit each of the boys at their homes to say thank you.

The post also helped discover two more youths who had helped the man. Chloé Jay Roberts, 13, and James Fraser, 12, gave him a bar of chocolate and a can of coke when they saw him in Queen Street.

There were also offers of tents and sleeping bags by social media users but the man has now moved on. He is believed to be back with his family in Gloucester.

PC Symons has said their action breathes hope and admiration for the younger generation.

He said: “I live in Deal and have done so for many years. We deal with a lot negative things. The fact that these boys from Deal have been so nice and for this, something negative, to then be turned into a positive - it’s brilliant.”

“They truly are outstanding young members of our community.”