An 81-year-old has praised a mystery shopper for paying for her items after she struggled to get her card to work.

Trishka Saffery was at Morrisons in Sutton Road, Maidstone, when the act of kindness happened.

“I had got everything I wanted, including some bits for my daughter and it came to around £20,” the retiree explained.

“When I got to the checkout it said my card was invalid. I then popped it into the machine and it still didn’t work.

“After fumbling I realised I had recently received a new card – I knew there was money in my account.

“I just kept saying ‘sorry’, and was getting more and more frustrated. I function perfectly well normally, but just not under pressure.

“I asked if I could leave the bag with them and get it later.”

As she started to leave the supermarket, on July 4, Trishka got called back and was handed her shopping by a man that had paid for the items.

She said: “He wasn’t showing off, all he wanted to do was help.

“It was terribly touching and he seemed fairly young to me.

“He didn’t make me feel idiotic or stupid about the whole situation and it was so kind.”

Trishka wants what happened to her to spark a chain of good deeds around the town.

‘He wasn’t showing off, all he wanted to do was help.’

The idea of “pay it forward” involves repaying a kindness received with a good deed to someone else.

This could be buying someone a coffee, complimenting a stranger or helping someone by carrying bags to their car.

“I later saw on Facebook that two elderly ladies had their shopping paid for in the last day,” Trishka said.

“Hopefully it was a knock-on effect from the action of this lovely young man.

“I’ve lived in Maidstone for 30 years and there’s so much negativity in Maidstone, but this just proves there’s another side.

She added: “To me, people are desperate for something good, something positive.

“It was so heartwarming. I think it’s almost like we are in a war situation, you look for good stuff.

“That young man had nothing to gain, and was spending his hard-earned money on a fluffy old lady.”

Dozens of people commented on Trishka’s positive experience, which she shared on Facebook.

‘...people are desperate for something good, something positive.’

One person said: “This is the third act of kindness I've read today, about others paying for elderly ladies shopping, restores faith in humanity in these troublesome times.”

Another added: “So good to hear of kindness and thought from a young person to an older person.

“We hear so much bad stuff and yet, I know so many good young people too, and they do not always get credit for what they do.”

Have you been a part of a recent “pay it forward” act of kindness? Email your experience to csimmonds@thekmgroup.co.uk