A 92-YEAR-OLD woman was bowled over by the kindness of a stranger, who came to her aid when a card fault left her unable to pay for her groceries.

Theresa Mitchell, of Guessens Road, WGC, said she was “overcome” by a mystery man’s act of chivalry on November 15.

Mrs Mitchell was getting her weekly shopping at Waitrose, in Bridge Road, Welwyn Garden City, when her bank card “locked” and wouldn’t work.

Her nephew Brian Cairns contacted the Welwyn Hatfield Times and said: “Despite several attempts to correct the situation, access was finally frozen.

“The cashier suggested she leave the shopping and go to the bank to sort out the problem.

“My aunt said that she was not physically up to this and asked them to return the goods to the appropriate shelves.

“At this point a man standing behind my aunt offered to provide cash of approximately �50 to enable my aunt to take the shopping away.

“Despite my aunt’s initial refusal he insisted.”

Mrs Mitchell, who later repaid the man, said: “I would like to thank this gentleman very much.”

Of the man’s gesture Mrs Mitchell, who usually uses a walker, said: “How sweet was that? He was an absolute gentleman.

“I thought he was so kind because my feet were very tired at the time.”

Mrs Mitchell has lived in the area since 1935, and has two daughters who are 60 and 64, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She added: “I wanted to thank him, because you hear such bad things about people these days.”

And Mr Cairns said: “In these times where the media seems so full of the flaws and fragility of human behaviour surely this is a wonderful example of what so many of us are capable of, but just seem to lack the courage to deliver on.”