Kind-hearted Blackpool youngster Oliver Shorthouse, six, is policeman for a day

Oliver, who is aged just six and dreams of being a policeman when he’s older, made an arresting impression when he he entered the promotional competition run by Blackpool Police.

And it culminated in an unforgettable first prize, which entailed Oliver donning a uniform and attending to some very important policework for a day.

The contest, involving primary schools throughout Blackpool, required youngsters to send in a photo of them doing something kind.

Stanley Primary School pupil Oliver decided to try and help people who didn’t have enough food over Christmas, so neighbours close to his Herons Reach hoe in Blackpool were asked if they had any spare tins.

Soon Oliver had quite a collection and he and his family took it to Amazing Graze, based on Bolton Street in South Shore, which provides free food parcels and other assistance to those in need.

His kindness melted the hearts of the police and he won the prize – and what a prize.

Over the course of the big day, just before Christmas, Oliver was able to take fingerprints – of police officers, not hardened villains – as well as meeting the police dogs and horses, activating a police siren, trying on some mini-riot gear and accompanying a police officer in retrieving a person’s lost mobile phone.

The officers awarded Oliver a special certificate and he also impressed his electrician dad Chris Shorthouse, stepmum Becki Heaton and mum Gabriella Joyce.

Becki, 29, of Heron’s Reach, said: “Oliver seemed to really impress the police and he absolutely loved his prize.

"The police were really great with him and he was kept busy all day.

"When he came back, he couldn’t stop talking about it.”

Oliver said: "It’s important to be kind because if someone doesn’t have any money, you can try and give them some.”

Sgt Thomas Higgs, of Blackpool Police, said: “Christmas is a time of kindness so we wanted to highlight the fact that this time it was going to be more difficult for people across the country.

"So our aim was to encourage children to engage in an act of kindness in their communities here in Blackpool.”