Hero street sweeper who was banned by jobsworth bosses from taking dream trip to Portugal fundraised by families finally gets away thanks to holiday firm and admits 'I just can't put it into words what it means to be here'

EXCLUSIVE Hero street sweeper who was banned by jobsworth bosses from taking dream trip to Portugal fundraised by families finally gets away thanks to holiday firm and admits 'I just can't put it into words what it means to be here' By John Siddle Published: 20:29 EDT, 18 August 2024 | Updated: 20:51 EDT, 18 August 2024 e-mail 1 View comments An adored street cleaner who was snubbed from going on a dream holiday by jobsworth bosses raises a cold pint in sun-soaked Portugal, telling supporters: 'I'm having the time of my life.' Elvis-loving Paul Spiers, 63, stepped foot on the golden sands of the Algarve just days after waste firm employers Veolia pulled the plug on a community crowdfunded trip - claiming strict rules prevent workers from accepting gifts. More than 200 neighbours in Beckenham, south-east London , had raised more than £3,000 to send beloved Paul on only his second ever foreign getaway before Veolia managers cruelly stepped in.

Hard-working Paul, who cheers up locals by playing Elvis and Motown classics through a portable speaker while tidying the streets, captured the nation after his plight was exclusively revealed by MailOnline - prompting a travel firm to step forward with a 'competition' that only he could win. Package holiday company, OnTheBeach, said the winner of the contest 'must love Elvis, be between the ages of 62 and 64, have a surname of Spiers, be a street cleaner in Beckenham and be loved by your local community'. Paul Spiers, 63, (pictured) hop.