A youngster from West Mersea has warmed people’s hearts with his efforts to help the cause of refugees who have fled to the UK from Afghanistan.

Oscar Neill, who is only six years old, felt he had to do something to help after seeing the refugees’ plight on the news, and decided to sell drinks to passers-by at his mum’s yard sale at the weekend.

After buying cans of pop, as well as bottles of water and fruit shoot from the local Aldi, young Oscar – a pupil at West Mersea School – started flogging the drinks to people, who started to take more interest in the refreshments than the wares his mother was selling from the front garden.

But Oscar’s idea started when he was in the lounge and the news was on in the background, as his mother, Kirsty Neill, explained.

She said: “He was just in the lounge doing some colouring in, and the news about Afghanistan was on in the background – then he started asking all the questions.

“He actually wanted to give some toys away, but the charities are inundated with donations so he came up with the idea of selling drinks instead.”

Using his own pocket money on his GoHenry card – a sort of children’s debit card that allows parents to oversee their children’s spending – Oscar went off to his local Aldi on Cowdray Avenue.

When the yard sale came round at the weekend, Oscar initially didn’t have that much success.

His mother said: “He was going round shouting “Drinks! Drinks for the refugees!”

“When people came walking past, I had to explain that he had paid for the drinks with his own pocket money.

Thought not everyone bought a can of pop or fruit shoot off Oscar, many were so taken aback by his kind-heartedness that they decided to donate to the cause anyway.

“Some people said they would come back and I kind of thought “well, we probably won’t see them again” – but they actually did come back to donate money.

“I was doing the yard sale at the same time and I didn’t sell a thing – but I was just so happy for him.

“He was chatting to everyone and saying how it was all for the refugees, and explaining to them that they have nothing but the clothes on their back.”

The final total Oscar raised was £67 during the five hours he was selling the cold drinks from his older brother’s mini-fridge.

His mother, Ms Neill, who is 45 and works at Market Field College as a teacher, was made up to see her son being so charitable.

“I’m extremely proud,” she said.

“Yesterday he went up in assembly so people could congratulate him, so he was as pleased as punch.”

And does he have plans to raise even more money to donate to refugee charities?

“He wants to do another sale with all the old toys to make money for them that way,” his mother explained.

“He is always thinking of things he can do but for the moment we will have to wait and see.

“We can all take a leaf from his book,” she said.