Window cleaner who removed graffiti thanked by PM

A window cleaner who removed racist graffiti from a Chinese takeaway free of charge has said it was a "real honour" to be thanked by the prime minister.

Isaac Davidson was among members of the public and community figures invited to Downing Street, where Sir Keir Starmer hosted a St George's Day reception.

The invite was in recognition of Davidson's efforts in volunteering to clean the graffiti which had been painted on the outside of Dragon House on Foxwood Lane in York, leaving the owner "heartbroken".

The 31-year-old, from Foxwood, said: "When the prime minister thanked me, it felt quite overwhelming. I hadn't done it for recognition, so to be acknowledged like that was a real honour."

Davidson, of Crystal Clean, said when he saw what had happened at the takeaway last September he felt he needed to help.

"It's my local Chinese and they are lovely people, it wasn't nice to see at all."

He said being invited to Downing Street was "a bit of a surprise".

"At first I thought it might not even be real, it still doesn't feel real now.

"The day was incredible, a bit surreal."

He described being at Number 10 as "something you don't get to experience every day" and that he had even met Larry the cat.

He added: "More than anything, it just shows how important small acts of kindness can be."

Davidson was one of those singled out by Sir Keir who gave three examples of people who embodied the values he thought of as English.

Sir Keir said: "They are examples of people stepping up in their communities when, frankly, it would be easier in many cases to step back. But they step up.

"They're exceptional stories, and yet in this country, they feel familiar because you will find them in every community across England."

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