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Waitrose has reversed its determination not to provide paid work to an autistic man after initially saying he had to stop volunteering at the store where he had donated his time for an extended period.

In July, Frances Boyd asked whether her adult child her son could be offered a job at the supermarket in Cheadle Hulme, but her application was eventually rejected by Waitrose head office.

This week, rival chain the grocery chain stated it sought to give Tom paid shifts at its local branch.

Responding to Waitrose's U-turn, the parent said: "We are going to consider the offer and determine whether it is in the optimal outcome for Tom to go back... and are having ongoing talks with the company."

'We are investigating'

A official for the supermarket chain said: "We'd like to see Tom resume, in a paying position, and are requesting assistance from his relatives and the charity to do so."

"We anticipate to welcome him again with us shortly."

"We place great importance about assisting people into the employment who might usually not be provided employment."

"As such, we warmly welcomed Tom and his support worker into our Manchester location to learn the ropes and enhance his self-assurance."

"We have policies in place to enable unpaid work, and are investigating the circumstances in Tom's situation."

The parent stated she had been "deeply moved" by how people had reacted to her talking about her child's situation.

Tom, who has specific communication needs, was recognized for his commitment by managers.

"He gave extensive time of his time purely because he desired community connection, make a difference, and have an impact," commented his parent.

The parent commended and appreciated employees at Waitrose's Cheadle Hulme store for supporting him, noting: "They welcomed him and were absolutely brilliant."

"I feel he was just not sufficiently noticed - all was running smoothly until it reached corporate level."

The family have been endorsed by Greater Manchester mayor the mayor.

He posted on social media that Tom had received "completely unacceptable" management and vowed to "support him to secure alternative employment that succeeds".

The mayor declared the local government body "would encourage each company - including Waitrose - to participate to our recently launched diversity program".

Conversing with the parent, who announced of Tom's Asda job offer on local radio, the public figure stated: "Congratulations for highlighting the issue because we require a major education initiative here."

She accepted his offer to serve as a representative for the campaign.