THREE boys from Dunbar Grammar School have been commended for their “random act of kindness” after helping a homeless man they came across on the town’s High Street.

S1 pupils Wallace Thomson, Kevin Watters and Murray Marshall – and Murray’s younger brother Connor, a P7 at Dunbar Primary School – were out in the town on Saturday, December 7.

After being given some money by Wallace’s dad, they decided to buy some treats at the Co-op.

But when there, they came across a homeless man outside and decided to help him.

They bought him some food and gave him some money.

Murray said: “We felt bad for him because he had no house so we went into the Co-op, got him a big sandwich and some cookies and we also gave him £2.

“When we gave him the stuff, he said: ‘Thanks very much, I appreciate it.’

“He did have a bag of food with him but we still helped him because it didn’t look like enough food to last him the week and we thought he needed a bit more.”

On the man’s reaction, Wallace added: “He looked like he was about to cry.”

The school was made aware of what had happened thanks to a post on Twitter from an eye-witness.

Kirsten Pearson posted: “I have just watched a number of adults ignore a homeless man on Dunbar High Street and then four boys come out of a shop and hand him food and money. Made me smile.”

The boys were identified after a school assembly when the Rev Diana Hall, rector at St Anne’s Church in Dunbar, was talking to the students about kindness and the gift of their time this Christmas.

Claire Slowther, headteacher at Dunbar Grammar School, then shared the story of the boys’ kindness with everyone at the assembly.

At the end of the school assembly, Wallace approached her and identified himself and his friends as those responsible.

Mrs Slowther said: “You don’t see a lot of homeless people in Dunbar so I think they were quite taken aback and wanted to help him.

“They went into the Co-op and thought ‘what would he like to eat’ so got him something to eat and gave him some money just to look after him; it’s just that sense of care.

“I just think it’s such an incredibly kind thing for the boys to do, to see that and not do what other adults do and perhaps walk past and ignore or try to avoid seeing them, but the boys wanted to help and they did so through a random act of kindness. Kids here do it all the time.”

And she added: “I was so delighted when it was shared on social media. I thought it was lovely and was glad the lady recognised that. I even said: ‘Wow, that’s so fantastic that our students are doing that.’

“Youngsters get a tough time on social media.

“People are very quick to jump on and have a rant about how badly behaved young people are and then ignore the great things they do.

“As teachers, we get to see that every day – we are so privileged that we get to see the kindness.

“What the boys did was very purposeful and it wasn’t just a case of giving him something from their pocket.”

As a reward, the school gave the boys a free pizza lunch when they returned to school on the Monday.

The boys’ parents were also understandably proud of them, with Murray receiving some extra pocket money as a reward, something he wished he was able to give to the homeless man.

Their experience has made the boys want to help other homeless people they see in the future, something they recommend others do as well.