Wait staff reduced to tears as boy, 4, treats mum to Valentine's Day 'date' - and offers to pay with jar of pennies

A four-year-old boy reduced waitresses to tears when he treated his recently-divorced mother to a Valentine's Day 'date', offering to pay with his jar full of saved pennies.

Max Schofield escorted his mother Emma for a special meal at the Pizza Express in Torquay to help cheer her up.

But when he took out his savings to hand them over, the tearful waitress said restaurant staff had been so moved as they watched the mother and son on their date that the meal was on the house.

Posting to Facebook, Emma said she had been "secretly dreading" the romantic holiday with her divorce still fresh.

But Max made sure it was a Valentine's Day to remember - even choosing her a special Valentine's gift beforehand.

She wrote:

Her post has now been shared dozens of times, with hundreds of people commenting on little Max's kind gesture.