One South Tyneside youngster's bid to become mini Willy Wonka

The nine-year-old recently applied to Sweets and Treats in Harton Village, South Shields, for a job – after his mum Lea Dobson informed him and big sister Chloe, 13, that school holiday activities cost money.

The letter has now been seen by 22,000 across the globe after the sweet shop shared it on its Facebook account.

Ryan took pen to paper in a bid to explain why he would be the perfect employee, and even suggested that he’d drum up business by standing outside with free samples to lure customers in.

The Mortimer Primary School pupil wrote: “I could even work at the till because I am good with money and I am in top maths at school.”

Ryan then dropped the letter off at the shop – much to the delight of owner Danielle Jaggers.

She said: “Sadly Ryan is just that little bit too young for us to employ – but we thought had great initiative and he will definitely go far when he grows up. However, he will be coming along on Sunday to judge our sundae competition.

“We shared the letter on our Facebook page and so far 22,000 people have seen it, which is amazing – but it was a very good letter.”

Last Saturday, Ryan got the chance to serve some ice cream and measure out sweets.

He said: “It was really exciting and amazing that I got the chance to have a try at working in the sweet shop.”

Mrs Dobson, from Harton Village, is delighted by her son’s work ethic – but says for the time being he still has his heart set on being a footballer.

She said: “All of this came about because I was mainly telling his sister that school holidays don’t come cheap and she should think about how she could earn some extra pounds.

“Then the next thing Ryan went off into his bedroom and came back with this application letter.

“I was secretly quite pleased because it meant he was practising his English during the school holidays – but then he said he wanted to drop it off at the shop, so I let him go through with it.

“Ryan was told that they really need delivery drivers more than anything else, and he seemed fine with that as he knew he wasn’t old enough to drive. But for now he’s back to dreaming about becoming a footballer when he grows up, just like every other nine-year-old.”

Dear Sweets and Treats,

I would like to inform you that I would like a job at Sweets and Treats. But not a full time one as I am only nine (nearly 10).

I would love to have a job in your store. Not just because it is a sweet store, because it is probably fun meeting happy cheerful people and helping them find tasty sweets.

My idea is to get Sweets and Treats more customers, because more customers means more business.

I could stand outside of the door giving free samples of sweets and if they like the sweets then they can buy them.

I could even work at the till because I am good with money and I am in top maths at school.

I hope you can employ me because I would like a job and would enjoy a job.

Yours sincerely,

Ryan Dobson