Plan B Forum

A grandfather who fell outside a bank and saw his £1,000 in cash blow away in the wind was amazed when strangers returned almost every penny.

Barry Eastwood, 54, had left the Abbey Santander branch in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, after withdrawing the money for his car insurance. But as he crossed the road, Mr Eastwood tripped and fell on his face, breaking his glasses. The money was blown from his hand and Barry went back to his car with just £60 left. His son Richard, 29, who had been waiting for him, jumped out to try and recover some of it.


But to their amazement, dozens of passers-by began grabbing the notes as fast as they could, and returning them. The onlookers, all aged between about 12 and 25, managed to collect almost every note except one £20. The grandfather of 13, said: 'The money went flying in the air. I saw all these young lads started grabbing the notes and I thought I’ve got no chance here. 'But they brought it all back back - I couldn’t believe it! They were jumping up and catching the notes - it’s a shame no one had a camera.

'There must have been about 20 lads - they were all young lads. I ended up with all the money back bar £20.' Former labourer Mr Eastwood, of Salford, who has had to retire due to heart problems, was even handed back his passport and bank card which he had also dropped. 'It was absolutely brilliant. Especially in this day and age the way people are,' he said.

'I would like to say a big thanks to all the people that helped retrieve my money and for their kindness and genuine show of concern. 'I just felt this was a story to be shared. It has given me a sense that all is not lost and that there is still some decency in this deteriorating world.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1y0BWl5bo

This is the dramatic moment a mugger who robbed an elderly woman of her pension got rough justice - after being rugby tackled by a Good Samaritan in the middle of a car park.



Violent thug Benjamin Brown had attacked the 82-year-old woman and snatched her handbag outside a post office in Leicester. But as he fled he was spotted by Sam Woodward, who chased after the thief and grabbed him as he tried to get away. After rugby tackling him to the ground, former doorman Mr Woodward kept Brown in an arm lock for 10 minutes until police arrived, before handing back the stunned pensioner's handbag.


Mr Woodward, 33, who now works as an estate agent in Birmingham, said: 'What he did was lower than low - I think that he got everything he deserves. 'For someone to come up behind an old woman and throw her to the floor is cowardly. 'I was brought up to respect the elderly and I found what happened horrendous. 'She probably just popped out for a pint of milk, and she shouldn't be scared to do that.
'When I imagine somebody doing something like that to my mum, I would want someone to do what I did.'

Mr Woodward said: 'When I caught up with him, I rugby tackled him to the ground, got him in an arm lock and waited for the police to arrive. 'I used to be a doorman for five years so I knew what I was doing and I didn't hurt him too much.' [shame!]

Brown, 31, was jailed for five years after admitting the robbery in July 2011 and a string of other offences at Leicester Crown Court earlier this week. A court heard his previous convictions included stealing three medals worth £600 from a war memorabilia stall in Loughborough.

Mr Woodward added: 'You could tell the victim was in shock - she walked over to me while I was still sitting on top of him and asked for her purse back, because she'd like to go home.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1y0Btv9Za

A music teacher who became an internet sensation when he offered to give away a £1,000 holiday for two on YouTube after splitting with his girlfriend has handed it to the victim of a violent street attack and his wife.

Heartbroken Tommy Frankenburg attracted more than 112,000 hits and 2,000 entrants after posting the video for the week-long break to Malta.

The 22-year-old, from Nottingham, has now chosen a scientist who was left in a coma following an unprovoked street attack, and his wife, as the successful applications.


Emotional: Tommy Frankenburg, right, with attack victim Stuart Flynn and his wife Dawn, who won the trip to Malta

Stuart Flynn, 39, had to learn to walk, talk and eat again after he was assaulted by a thuggish young couple last year. He still recovering from the incident.

Wife Dawn, who emailed Tommy with their entry, said she hoped the break would aid Stuart’s rehabilitation.

She added: ‘We’re very excited. We’ve never been to Malta, it looks gorgeous. Some of the things like diving could help with Stuart’s recovery, but we just want to have fun.’

Tommy, of Nottingham, said: ‘I picked Stuart and Dawn because I thought that it was an incredible story, but what I loved most was that they had such a positive attitude on life.

‘I had a range of responses, from people who wanted to fix their marriages with a holiday, to people who wanted to go on one last holiday before they died - along with quite a few propositions from people who fancied the look of me!’

The holiday, from July 3 to July 10, includes return flights to Malta from East Midlands Airport, a stay at a four-star hotel and car rental.

In a follow-up video on YouTube, Tommy is seen meeting the Flynns and Stuart, who worked for the Environment Agency, recalls the day he saw his attackers jailed. He said: ‘I wasn’t originally bothered about going to court to see them but I felt incredibly emotional on the day.’

Dawn, 39, who had to give up her teaching job to care for her husband, said in the film: ‘You’re sitting at a bedside not knowing what the future is going to hold.

‘We don’t want to spend our lives thinking about these people. They’ve done what they’ve done, they’ve now been punished. Our lives are focused on getting Stuart better.’

Paul Creighton, 20, and Michelle Roberts, 19, both of New Basford, were locked up last September after admitting grievous bodily harm with intent.

Creighton got an indefinite sentence with a minimum of five years, while Roberts was given eight years and six months.