A Muslim taxi driver who spent four hours caring for a pensioner after finding him freezing in a bus stop has been honoured by Greater Manchester Police’s Chief Constable.
Kamaran Rasheed came to the aid of William Place, 87, after he ended up locked out of his home.
Mr Place had been visiting his wife Moreen at the Manchester Royal Infirmary earlier that evening but lost track of time and left later than normal.
When he arrived home, he found the entrance to his home in Manchester had been padlocked shut, and he didn’t have a key.
Confused, the pensioner wandered onto Stockport Road to the bus shelter where he was seen by Mr Rasheed, 44, at around 2am.
Knowing that the bus service had stopped for the evening, Mr Rasheed dropped off his fare and went back to the bus stop to offer Mr Place a lift home free of charge.
He decided to stop off at McDonalds to get the retired police officer a hot drink to warm him up before taking him to Longsight Police Station.
It was at this point that PC Peter Crowe drove past and approached the pair thinking it was a dispute.
He was soon heartened to learn that Mr Rasheed in fact intended to take Mr Place home for food and a warm bed, or to pay for a hotel room for him.
They took him home but were unable to enter the property.
In total, Mr Rasheed stayed with Mr Place for four hours.
Chief Constable Ian Hopkins branded his actions a “glowing example of community spirit”.
“Mr Rasheed’s dedication ensured that this vulnerable man was looked after and rescued him from a potentially serious situation and I’m delighted that William is now safe and well.
“His actions that night deserve to be recognised. I am proud to be able to award him with a Chief Constable’s Commendation.”
Mr Rasheed, who is also a foster carer, said: “At first I only stopped to tell him that the buses had stopped, but he told me he wasn’t waiting for a bus. I offered him a lift and took him to get a warm drink before I took him to the station. I just did it because it was the right thing to do
“It’s wonderful to receive this commendation. It was new experience and I never thought I would be recognised with anything like this so I’m really proud.”