A grandfather has thanked the two bin men who regularly ‘make his grandson’s day’ by interacting with him whilst on their rounds.

It has become routine for Paul Coggins and his two-year-old grandson Jesse to meet the workers while on their weekly walk in Bradpole, near Bridport

The two men who collect the bins on Mr Coggins’ street have taken to Jesse, who has Down’s syndrome.

The workers, named Adam and Joe, beep their horn at him as he waves and claps at them and often stop to have a chat with Jesse and his grandfather.

Mr Coggins said: “I look after Jesse every Tuesday and one of the highlights for him is when the bin lorry drives down the street. He loves to clap and wave at the lorry - he’s even begun to give them a thumbs up.

"Adam and Joe, the two men who collect the bins, are really lovely towards him. They toot the horn for him and they give him plenty of attention. He actively looks for them now, every time I look after Jesse we walk around Bradpole and we often see them. They’re so great with him and Jesse loves the whole experience.”

Jesse, who lives in Mosterton and turns three in February, underwent surgery at Southampton Hospital this week to amend a heart defect.

Mr Coggins added: “Jesse’s Down’s syndrome makes life a bit more challenging for him but he’s achieving many goals, he’s just started to walk and has also begun to learn sign language.

"Jesse has a heart defect which is quite common with children with Down’s syndrome. He had surgery on Thursday to fix it.

"This, along with the current lockdown, means we probably won’t get to see him for a little while.

"He’s such a great little chap, he really lights up our house every time he comes round. And he really loves engaging with the bin men and he gets so excited every time they come round.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to the two bin men for their friendliness, their compassion, and most of all taking a couple of minutes each Tuesday to make my grandson happy.”

Cllr Jill Haynes, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for customer services and communities, said: “I, like everyone else, was delighted to hear about young Jesse and his friendship with two of our fantastic operatives.

"Although the pandemic has been challenging, lovely stories like these have helped to highlight the vital work all our public services continue to carry out, as well as the importance of kindness during these difficult times.”

“We wish Jesse and his family all the best as he recovers from his operation and I want to personally thank Joe and Adam, and indeed all of our front-line waste service employees, for their continued hard work as they support our communities.”