A heartwarming video of a Sainsbury’s staff member surprising his autistic colleague with £400 in gifts to lift his spirits after he was mugged earlier in the week has gone viral on social media.
After an attack left Tommy struggling to eat and with injuries to his face, Liam Mason was determined to cheer up his friend and colleague by organising a whip-round via a Crowdfund on Twitter, which saw him manage to raise over £400 in total.
The funds raised meant that Liam and his fellow colleagues at a Manchester-based Sainsbury’s branch could treat Tommy to a £350 gift card and a Manchester United shirt.
Sharing the video to Twitter yesterday, Liam said: “As some of you on here already know, a lad I work with who has autism was mugged on Monday. We managed to get a whip-round on the go and raised over £400 [so] thank you to everybody who donated and passed on their best on here.
“He doesn’t show his emotions very well, but he’s buzzing.”
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As some of you on here already know a lad I work with who has autism was mugged on Monday. We managed to get a whip round on the go and raised over £400! Thank you to everybody who donated and passed on their best on here. He doesn’t show his emotions very well but he’s buzzing pic.twitter.com/WEx2qQx049
The video has since been viewed more than 1.2 million times, and has amassed over 70K interactions and comments from both famous faces and members of the public praising Liam and the wider team for their generosity and kind-hearted actions.
Following the overwhelmingly positive response to the video, Liam has since said in a follow-up tweet that Tommy “started tearing up”.
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He said: “It’s genuinely made his day/month/year [and] I can’t thank everybody who got involved enough. Social media gets a lot of negativity thrown about and a bad name so it’s good to use the platform for something nice and genuine for once – fair play guys.”
He continued: “I’m absolutely buzzing with how much positivity this has spread.
“[Twitter] is mad at times [but] if this has made you smile today, then I’m over the moon for you too. The future is uncertain but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice to each other.
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“Absolutely belting.”
While most of the public response received has remained positive, Liam did choose to clear a few things up regarding COVID-safety protocols, as well address a couple of negative comments about why they chose to film the surprise.
Can’t believe I’m having to further justify this. Yes we were in a shop without masks on but it was before we were open to the public. As soon as we opened, masks were worn as usual when working in an open for business environment. We wear masks for 8 hours a day give us a break
“I just wanted to say thanks a lot for all the support and kind words directed at me.” he said.
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“It’s hard to get through all the messages, but just wanted to say I couldn’t do this by myself and everybody who donated deserves a portion of credit too.
“I’m just happy we put a smile on his face”.
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Academy graduate Oscar Bobb is leaving Manchester City on a permanent transfer
Danny Jones
Manchester City youth academy graduate Oscar Bobb is leaving the club after sealing a move to Fulham FC.
Despite plenty of loan interest throughout the January transfer window, the Man City attacker has secured a switch to the in-form West London team on a permanent basis.
Bobb looked increasingly likely to leave in some capacity following the arrival of another winger in the form of instant hit, Antoine Semenyo, but it now looks as though his departure is all but confirmed, bar an imminent official announcement.
As reported by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the agreement has now been reached between the two clubs pending a full medical today (Thursday, 29 January).
According to Romano, Fulham will pay Man City approximately £27 million for Bobb’s services, who becomes the latest addition in what has already been a fairly busy period of recruitment.
He goes on to add that “City also mantain [a] 20% sell-on clause, matching rights and future control on the player based on his decision.”
There is no suggestion of a buy-back clause at this time, but given his age and having already made a fair few appearances for Pep Guardiola‘s first team, it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility to see him return to the club one day.
Bobb also arrives at Craven Cottage following the exit of multiple wingers and offensive options, including Adama Traore, ex-Man United product Andreas Pereira and Arsenal youngster, Reiss Nelson, whose loan deal has expired and has signed another temporary deal at local rivals, Brentford.
Had it not been for that injury I know he would’ve been class for City for a long time, and let’s not forget that goal v Newcastle pic.twitter.com/inGxi5UjPM
The young Norwegian winger joined the Etihad Campus back in 2023 and went on to contribute a handful of goals and assists, despite limited appearances and some very unfortunate injury issues.
Only seven months ago, his soon-to-be former parent club released a short video charting his return from the sidelines after fracturing his leg – a setback which kept him out for roughly five months.
Plenty of fans have quickly placed him in the so-called ‘what if?’ category of players, and given that he’s still just 22 years old and has already impressed on a number of ocassions for such a big club, we wouldn’t be surprised if he goes on to have a very exciting career.
Can you see the Blues bringing in or letting anyone else go before deadline day?
McDonald’s is set to axe 80% of its vegan and vegetarian options in the UK
Emily Sergeant
McDonald’s is set to remove nearly all of its vegan and vegetarian options from the UK menu, according to reports.
We may be in what is known to some as Veganuary, but one of the world’s leading fast food chains has reportedly made the decision to drastically cut back on the selection of plant-based and meat-free options on its UK menu, appearing to align with the trends that show a decline in veganism overall.
McDonald’s is known for offering those who choose not to eat meat a choice of different options – from its Veggie Dippers to the popular McPlant burger.
But from the start of next month, only one options is apparently set to remain on the menu.
In a decision that seems to already be making fans on social media ‘furious’, McDonald’s has revealed that it will stop selling Veggie Dippers, Veggie Dipper Happy Meals, Spicy Veggie Wraps, and Vegetable Deluxe sandwiches.
McDonald’s is set to axe 80% of its vegan and vegetarian options in the UK / Credit: McDonald’s UK
All that remains will be the vegan McPlant Burger – which McDonald’s says still remains popular with steady sales.
According to reports in various outlets like the Daily Mail and Sky News, McDonald’s says it had reviewed feedback and sales data in order to make the decision.
A spokesperson for McDonald’s UK told the Daily Mail: “We’re always listening to our customers to help inform and evolve our menu. After reviewing feedback, alongside the sales data of our Veggie Dippers, it’s clear this product does not match the appeal of McPlant for our vegetarian customers.
“That’s why we’ve made the decision to remove them from the menu, as we focus on developing better vegetarian options that meet our high standards.
The fast food chain has released a statement as to why it is reducing options / Credit: Road Ahead (via Unsplash)
“While McPlant remains a firm fan favourite and will continue to be the go-to choice for our vegetarian and vegan customers, we recognise these changes may be disappointing for some.”
If this statement is anything to go by though, it does appear that the McPlant won’t stay the only vegan option on the menu forever, as the fast food chain has indicated that it is looking at introduction others in the future.
“We are actively learning from other markets to understand which vegetarian and vegan options are proving most popular and exploring exciting new offerings that we know customers will love,” the spokesperson’s statement concluded.
The Veggie Dippers, Veggie Dipper Happy Meals, Spicy Veggie Wraps, and Vegetable Deluxe sandwiches will be removed from the McDonald’s menu in the UK on 3 February.
Emily Sergeant -
15th February 2021 
