A TEACHER called the POLICE and social services on a mum because her son was making a bit of pocket money by selling air fresheners.

Alicia McHale was left furious after cops turned up on her doorstep in Gorton, Manchester, after a teacher reported her nine-year-old savvy son Donnan.

The young boy wanted enough money to buy his brother and sister a Christmas present – so he asked his mum how he could earn some cash.

And after deliberating with his mum, he came up with a plan to buy air fresheners from a pound shop then sell them outside the Tesco petrol station.

A packet of four cost one pound and Donnan sold each for the same price – and within a month he'd earned enough to buy a coat, phone, bike and tracksuit.

But the little businessman's work was halted after a teacher allegedly called the police and social services on his mum.

His mum was faced by two policemen – who arrived at her home last Wednesday morning.

They asked to speak to Donnan following a "complaint" from his primary school Sacred Heart.

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The mum told Manchester Evening News: "I asked them what the problem was.

"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 said that another teacher then pulled Donnan out of class last week to quiz him.

The mum said: "Donnan explained… the officers were absolutely fine with it.

"They said they would have to pass it on to the care team but they thought he was doing a great job."

And the next day she saw the member of staff at the school gates – but he didn't say that he had rung the cops on the nine-year-old.

Alicia says she's been left upset and embarrassed at how the incident was handled.

And she said she didn't believe the ordeal needed to be handled by the authorities.

She added: "I was shocked, I've never had police at my door.

RAKING IT SIN

"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.

"He was only doing it for an hour after school each night before he came home to get his tea.

"It's just round the corner."

Tesco confirmed staff at the store were aware of what Donnan was doing and "made sure he was safe," after the mum left her phone number with them.

A 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."

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.

A spokesperson for GMP said: "In January 2022, police received a report of concern for the welfare of a child in the Gorton area.

"Officers attended the child's home address and completed the necessary checks and paperwork."

Suzanne Walker, Headteacher Sacred Heart Primary School, said: "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."

A council spokesperson said: "Whilst it wouldn't be appropriate for us to comment on an individual child's circumstances, we would of course always want to reassure ourselves that appropriate measures were in place to ensure a child or young person's safety and welfare at all times."

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