A HEARTWARMING campaign has been launched to raise money for a homeless man living in Marlborough whose rucksack with all his possessions in was stolen.

Former St John’s School student Zoe Devenish is hoping the community will come together to raise £250 so she can take the man, known as John, food shopping and replace the items taken from him, including his tent.

The 26-year-old, of Edwards Meadow, heard about John’s plight through a friend. Horrified by what had happened, she decided to set up the online fundraising page.

“I felt really bad,” she said. “And that’s when I started looking into ways that I could help him rather than just going and buying him a sandwich.

“His tent, even teabags and £10 and all his belongings were in there, nothing of major worth to you and I, so someone has obviously just stolen it to be horrible.”

John, who is thought to be in his 40s and has dark curly hair, is a familiar face in the town and can often be found sitting off the High Street between Cafe Nero and Hamptons Estate Agents.

Before Miss Devenish heard about his belongings being pinched, she had never spoken to him but since then has been visiting him most days with lunch, food from the Food Bank and items of clothing people have been donating.

The childminder said: “Before I set up the Crowdfunding website, just to make sure it was ok, I went and spoke to him. I always see him and he always smiles and that’s why even more so I wanted to raise money for him. He’s a nice guy just in a horrible situation.”

Miss Devenish has raised half of the £250 she needs to get by July 16 or she will not receive any of the cash from the website. If she does raise the money she is also hoping to find out more about John and his life.

She added: “It will make him feel happy to know there are nice people out there who care, although his rucksack got stolen, and I am hoping the community will come together and help.”

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