Good Samaritan repairs bridge for Kirkcaldy flat owners

Occupants of the flats at Whytehouse Mansions, just off the town’s High Street, couldn’t believe it when Robert McDougall, who lives in Thornton, turned up at their homes and replaced rotten wood on a walkway between the first floor apartments and the car park behind the premises, without asking for any payment.

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Drivers to be fined for using Forth Road Bridge The story began after the daughter of one of the flat’s residents issued an appeal on social media for unwanted wood to carry out repairs to the disintegrating bridge which was in a precarious state.

Robert, a complete stranger, responded to the post, asking how much wood was needed. When she responded saying she wasn’t sure, he offered to come out and have a look.

And the householders received a pleasant surprise when they returned home from work to find the kindhearted engineer hard at work replacing the structure.

One resident said: “We had received a quote of £1800 for the work but we were left struggling when only four of us in the block of 29 flats responded to a request for a share of the cost.

“My daughter’s boyfriend was going to do the work but it was going to be a while until he had time, and in the meantime Robert got in touch asking what was needed. She hadn’t a clue, so he said he would pop down and have a look.

“I couldn’t believe it when I got home and he had started fixing it! He said he did it because he was worried that folk would hurt themselves.

“He worked for hours after his own work and didn’t want paid, although I gave him a donation to cover some of the cost of the materials. We can’t thank him enough.”

Robert (34), who works with a large engineering firm, told the Press: “I just like to help when I can.

“Although this isn’t what I do, my work has lots of spare wood.

“I was happy to help.”