A SOLDIER who had been selling poppies was asked by cleaners to leave Church Square Shopping Centre after he went in to shelter from rain.

David Marsh, 30, from Parr, is serving in the British Army in the 4th battalion the Rifles and had left his base at Bulford in Wiltshire to spend a long weekend at home.

He decided to help the British Legion selling poppies in St Helens on Friday, November 7.

But when the weather turned sour, David went into the Church Square centre.

Wearing his military uniform and holding his tray of poppies, he attracted the attention of shoppers inside the centre.

He said: "I didn't go in there to sell poppies, just to wait for the rain to go off.

"But people were coming up to me to talk and they were asking if they could buy poppies. A number of people gave me donations.

"At no point did I shake the collection tub or ask anyone to buy a poppy."

David says as he was talking to one woman, two cleaners working at the centre came up and said he couldn't sell poppies in the centre.

He said: "I was really shocked and told them I wasn't selling, but that people were giving me donations. I was again told I wasn't allowed to sell them in the centre.

"I didn't want to make a fuss so I left. I couldn't believe that no one from the management had come to talk to me; instead, they had to send cleaners over to do it.

"I respect the rules but I also can't believe that in the centenary of the Great War they would not allow poppies to be sold in their centre."

Church Square Shopping Centre manager Steven Brogan said: "We would like to offer our sincere apologies to Mr Marsh.

"We are big supporters of the Royal British Legion and other charities helping our servicemen and women, and veterans of conflicts, and recently hosted an exhibition in St Mary's Arcade about World War I.

"We would like to invite the Royal British Legion to have a stand in the centre next autumn for poppy sales. We will be making a donation to the charity."