Family leaving little surprises on Dudley doorsteps to help people remember the Queen

Simon Parkes, his wife Sherrie and their 10-year-old son, Myles, have been driving round the Dudley borough, leaving a royal surprise on people's doorsteps.

Mugs with a sweet drawing of the late Queen holding hands with Paddington Bear as they walk with a corgi are being dropped off at random homes so residents can remember Her Majesty.

Simon, who runs a small design business alongside his full-time job as an ambulance technician, said the idea came after his cousin sent him the design - a nod to her sketch with the fictional Peruvian bear during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations - and asked if he could print it onto a mug.

The idea snowballed, with Myles initially asking if he could make some for friends, before they decided to drive around the area and give them to people.

"We weren't expecting the result we've had," Simon said.

"They have had an amazing response. I really wasn't expecting the result we have had. We've had people saying 'we will give you £30', but that's against the reason we are doing it.

"It's something me and my lad were thinking about and what we can do."

Simon has said the mugs are not for sale, and instead have been printed as a way to keep memories of the Queen alive.

Simon and Myles have been out delivering mugs, choosing homes for their surprise deliveries.

On Sunday they visited Milking Bank and parts of Gornal where they dropped off 10 mugs, and plan to deliver 10 more each night up until Sunday.

"My little boy has loved it," explained Simon. "He said he felt like James Bond," as he ran up to front doors and left the mug on the doorstep before ringing the bell and running back to the car.

Simon added: "The response has been uplifting, he loves reading the messages from people."

Recipients have heaped praised on Simon and his family, saying the mugs have 'made their day', and describing their action as 'kind', 'very thoughtful' and 'absolutely brilliant'.

One of the mugs was delivered to Fay Poole and her nine-year-old son, Max, in Ripley Grove, Dudley.

Fay said: "Max is absolutely over the moon that we received a mug. We are a very patriotic family stemming right back to Max's great nan Edna Carroll, from Wednesbury.

"We used to joke that she thought she was the queen. Such a lovely and heart warming gesture from Si, we hope that it brings a lot of people comfort."

Michelle Parker said her son, Harry, found their mug outside their home in Milking Bank.

She described it as "bittersweet", saying Harry started to talk about the Queen and her Jubilee and was excited to find the image on the mug.

People in Bristol and near Loch Ness in Scotland have even got in touch, asking if they can have the design emailed to them so they can produce their own mugs.

Simon says at the moment he intends to keep it local, with extra mugs being taken to his work at West Midlands Ambulance Service and Myles' teacher.