Girl joins police officer for 'dinner date'

A US police officer has enjoyed the “best dinner date ever” after a curious four-year-old girl unexpectedly joined him when he was dining out.

Video posted on Facebook shows Sergeant Steven Dearth from the Hingham Police Department in Massachusetts, happily chatting away to little Lillian at the Panera Bread restaurant.

The police department said Sergeant Dearth was eating dinner alone when Lillian approached him.

“It means a lot to Police Officers when people say hi, especially when children approach us,” the department’s social media team wrote in the caption to a photo of the pair.

“Four year old Lillian came up to Sgt. Steven Dearth tonight to say hi and wanted to sit with him for dinner break. Of course, we gave her a Junior Police Officer sticker and had the best dinner date. She even asked to have a play date "in a few days".

Video and photos of the sweet encounter were posted earlier this month and have since been shared around the world.