South Londoners raise £3k for street cleaner’s holiday – but bosses say no

Attempt to show gratitude to Paul Spiers, 63, in Beckenham turns sour as Veolia says he cannot accept gift

An uplifting story of a community rallying to show its gratitude to the man who keeps their streets clean has soured after his bosses said he could not accept their donations for a holiday.

More than 200 people in Beckenham, south-east London, made contributions to send Paul Spiers on a summer break in Portugal. By Monday, 3,000 was in the kitty, mostly from small sums of 5 or 10.