Colchester mum praises 'angel' who helped her during Asda trip

Claire Armstrong, 32, from Colchester, headed to Asda, in Turner Rise, on Tuesday morning with her four-month-old twins Phoebe and Jacob.

After arriving at the self-service checkout the two siblings, who Claire was carrying in a baby sling, started to get upset, putting their mother in a difficult situation.

Following offers of help from supermarket assistants, a fellow shopper kindly offered to scan Claire’s shopping while she fed her twins a bottle of baby formula.

Claire with her two twins in the baby sling

Before she knew it, the heart-warming heroine had bagged up and paid for her £100 shop and vanished before she could receive any plaudits.

Claire, who is still taken aback by the woman’s remarkable gesture, said: “My family and I will be forever grateful to the lady who helped us out – I still can’t believe it.

“It really means a lot to us as we have definitely been feeling the pinch at the moment due to the rising fuel costs so what she did was very lovely.

“She is a true angel in disguise and an inspiration to others. We could definitely do with more kindness in the world and I will never forget it.

“Also thank you to Asda shop assistants who were also all so kind and really helpful - I am so grateful.”

After being on the receiving end of the selfless supermarket gesture Claire set out to track down her shopping Samaritan so she could personally thank her.

And through utilising the far-reaching power of social media, it wasn’t long before she had done just that.

“She just said she didn't do it for a reward, just as a little boost to help me from one mother to another and it gave her great joy to help me out,” added Claire.

“I've said that I will definitely try to pay it forward somehow, whether it be in the same way or in lots of small ways to various people.”