It's not every day you open your door to find a police officer clutching that parcel you've anxiously been waiting for.

But that's exactly what happened to a number of people in Dereham after Sergeant Gareth Woodward found five packages dumped at the side of the road.

After finding the items in Russet Way on the evening of Monday, September 26, Sgt Woodward established they were not connected to any crimes reported to Norfolk police.

But, instead of simply returning them to a courier, the kind-hearted cop took a more personal approach.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 28, he made it his mission to ensure all the parcels were returned to their rightful owners.

HIs good deed was shared on social media by one of the recipients, who snapped Sgt Woodward's photo and said: "Thank you Gareth, our local police officer, for taking the time to deliver my parcel."

Dozens of comments beneath the post saluted the officer for his efforts.