By Oliver Farrimond
A SCOTS teenager who stumbled across more than £1,000 in cash has seen his honesty rewarded with a prize.
15-year-old David McEwan found the notes in a bulging brown wallet near his home in Woodside Drive, Penicuik – and didn’t hesitate to do the right thing.
The fourth-year pupil at Penicuik High handed the £1,300 straight to his mum, Louise Lumsden, who sent it on to the police.
And now Lothian and Borders Police have recognised his honest streak with an Honesty Award from the Penicuik Crime and Prevention Panel.
David said: “It was a really straightforward decision – just hand it in.
“I thought the person would probably have worked hard for the money and I wouldn’t have liked that to happen to me.
He added: “I was surprised to find a wallet lying about with that amount of money in it.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything like an award, I just thought I had handed it in and that would be it
“But I was rewarded for doing that, and it is good to know that somebody has recognised it.”
He is only the second recipient of the Honesty Award, which the police put him forward for after the wallet was eventually reunited with its owner.
The man, who was visiting Penicuik to visit family and buy a car, also gave his own reward to David of around £130.
Panel secretary Jack McGowan, who presented David with the award as well as £15 worth of Borders vouchers, said: “This is only the second honesty award we have given out.
“In this day and age, when youngsters seem to be maligned for misbehaving, it’s good to see an example of this sort of honesty.
“We wanted to show we at the panel appreciated his actions.”
David is also a member of the Penicuik 869 Squadron ATC, and frequently comperes for Marie Curie Cancer Care fund-raising nights.
His mum, 39-year-old Louise Lumsden, said that both her and dad Colin were “really proud”.
Mother-of-two Louise said: “David was delighted because he wasn’t expecting anything – that was really kind of the man.
“David said that if it had been himself or his gran that had lost the money then he would hope that somebody else would have handed it in.
“He also said ‘what if it had been someone’s holiday money?’.
“Me and his dad Colin are really proud of him – it shows he can do the right thing.”
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