SOME say that it is small acts of kindness that make the world a better place.

No one knows this better than apprentice barber Kieran Bendle, 18, who experienced a moment of true selflessness from a homeless man on Monday night.

Kieran was paying for his cheeseburger meal in McDonalds in Stroud when he realised he didn’t have quite enough cash.

After emptying out through the change in his wallet, Kyran, a trainee at Dann Barbers in Kendrick Street, Stroud, found himself £1.50 short of the total.

Despite a queue of customers behind him, the person who came to his rescue to pay the extra was a well-known face in Stroud – a homeless former soldier called Martyn.

Martyn scooped the last of his change out his pocket and handed it over to the stunned till worker before leaving with his own meal, a burger and coffee.

By chance, the following morning Kieran spotted the man sleeping rough while on his way to work.

Determined to pay back the act of kindness, Kieran offered to give him a haircut on the house.

Taking him up on the offer, Martyn dropped in to the barbers on Wednesday afternoon for his first haircut and beard trim in years.

“I was utterly shocked and actually felt quite bad. So as a thank you I invited him into the shop and gave him a haircut and beard trim on the house,” explained former Archway School pupil Kieran, who lives in Nailsworth.

“At the time I was unbelievable grateful. This man’s only possessions were the things he was carrying in his pockets at the time.

“It’s amazing how people who have so little can be so generous. It was so humbling.

“This just proves that you have to be grateful for what you do have and always try and do things for those that are less fortunate than ourselves.

“I'm very humbled to have been able to give him something back and help him out.”

Kieran put his skills to the test and helped shave Martyn’s shoulder-length hair down to a grade 3.

“I was chatting to him for quite a while at the barbers,” added Kieran. “He’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet.”

Kieran’s colleague at Dann’s, Andy Jones, was recently given a prestigious award in recognition of his bravery.

Andy, 19, from Stroud, received a Nairac Youth Award in recognition of his heroics in rescuing a mum and her son who were trapped in an overturned car which had skidded on ice in Pitchcombe.