Police have investigated a nine-year-old boy who secretly began selling air fresheners in order to raise money for Christmas presents for his siblings.
Mum Alicia McHale told how her son Donnan wanted to make money for the presents and she suggested he earn cash by doing errands around the family house in Gorton, reported the Manchester Evening News.
But apparently not excited by the prospect of washing dishes or vacuuming the stairs, nine-year-old Donnan had another plan.
He started to buy air fresheners from a pound shop then sell them outside a Tesco petrol station around the corner from his house.
A packet of four cost one pound and entrepreneurial Donnan sold each for the same price.
The youngster proved to be a natural salesman and in only four weeks he'd earned enough to buy a coat, phone, bike and tracksuit for presents.
But unfortunately Donnan's business also brought police to the door.
Mum Alicia said two officers arrived last Wednesday and asked to speak to Donnan following a 'complaint' from his primary school Sacred Heart.
"I asked them what the problem was," said Alicia.
"They just said 'we've had a phone call from the school, it's from Sacred Heart, could we come in a minute.' They wanted to speak to Donnan and ask what's going on [with the air fresheners]."
Alicia believes a member of staff at Sacred Heart spotted Donnan while visiting the petrol station and raised it with colleagues.
She says another teacher then pulled Donnan out of class last week to quiz him.
"I've no idea why," says Alicia.
"It should have been the headteacher, it should have been a discussion between us [his parents] and the headteacher."
Alicia says she saw the member of staff the next day at the school gates and believed the matter was closed.
"[The teacher] didn't tell me what had gone on, he didn't tell me that he had rung police," she added.
Alicia said two police officers spoke briefly to Donnan and didn't seem to have any concerns.
"Donnan explained... the officers were absolutely fine with it," she said.
"They said they would have to pass it on to the care team but they thought he was doing a great job."
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police confirmed their officers were responding to a "concern for the welfare of a child".
However, Alicia also received a call from children's services about the incident.
Manchester Council would not comment on the specifics of the case but said children's services would always seek to "ensure a child or young person's safety and welfare at all times."
Alicia says she's been left upset and embarrassed at how the incident was handled and does not think it needed to be referred to the authorities.
"I was shocked, I've never had police at my door," she said.
"We're really proud of Donnan - they should be praising him for doing something like this when we've got children causing havoc on the streets."
Asked if Donnan had been supervised while selling the air fresheners, Alicia said that she had spoken to the manager at Tesco who said they would "keep an eye" on him and that she left her phone number.
"He was only doing it for an hour after school each night before he came home to get his tea," she said.
"It's just round the corner."
In a statement, Tesco confirmed staff at the store were aware of what Donnan was doing and "made sure he was safe".
A Tesco spokesperson said: “When our colleagues heard that Donnan wanted to raise some money to buy his little sister a Christmas present they were very touched and they made sure he was safe at our store."
Suzanne Walker, Headteacher Sacred Heart Primary School, told the Manchester Evening News: "We take the health and wellbeing of our pupils both in school and out very seriously and it is our duty to seek further advice and guidance if concerns are raised with us about the welfare and safety of any of our pupils."
