A SIGN in a Haddington business’s window is encouraging customers to treat elderly people with respect, says the store’s owner.

Mahmood Khalid, who owns Shopsmart on Haddington High Street, told the Courier he had witnessed several incidents of young people disrespecting elderly customers in the convenience store.

This prompted his wife Razia to create the sign for the window.

It reads: “Respect the elderly when you’re young. Help the weak when you’re strong. Admit your mistakes when you’re wrong. Because one day you will grow old, become weak and expect others to show you some respect.”

Mr Khalid said: “It was actually my wife who made the sign which is on display outside.

“We had seen that in the shop many people were disrespecting our elderly customers, especially younger people, and we didn’t like that.

“So this sign is a message to remind people to have respect and to treat elderly people with respect in life and in our shop.”

East Lothian Courier: The sign reads: Respect the elderly. When you're young help the weak, when you're strong admit your mistakes when you're wrong. Because one day you will grow old, become weak and expect others to show you some respect.The sign reads: Respect the elderly. When you're young help the weak, when you're strong admit your mistakes when you're wrong. Because one day you will grow old, become weak and expect others to show you some respect.

And he added: “It is especially aimed at younger people. Most young people in the shop are very respectful and are kind but sometimes they can be disrespectful and we don’t like that.”

Mrs Khalid found the quote online and decided to reproduce it – along with a drawing of two OAPs – in the shop window.

Mr Khalid said: “It took her probably a couple of weeks to do because she was so busy working in here.

“We are always busy with customers in the shop so she didn’t have much free time to make the sign.

“She is very good at drawing, though, and it looks very good out on display.

“We have had lots of people come in and say nice things about it and we are finding that people are now being more respectful, too, since the sign has gone up. We hope that this sign makes people happy and sends a good message.”

Jim Graham, Haddington and District Community Council member, said: “I think this is a lovely sentiment from the shop and spreads a great message to people. I think it’s important to treat everyone with respect, including the elderly.

“It’s good to see people spreading messages like this and I’d always support a positive message like this one. I think, overall, there are a lot of good young people out there but, obviously, there are a few who let the community down.

“I don’t like being too critical of groups when the majority of them are wonderful but it is important that we continue to treat elderly people with respect.”