A FUNDRAISING appeal has been launched after a picture of a homeless man living at a bus stop was shared on social media.

Laura Hicks was driving her daughter to nursery on Monday when she spotted Richard, who has travelled to Wiltshire from Stafford, living in the bus shelter at the Wingfield crossroads on the A366 near Trowbridge.

Mrs Hicks stopped to talk to Richard and posted a picture on Facebook which has since received hundreds of comments.

Mrs Hicks, 27, a mother-of-two from Manor Road, Trowbridge, said: “I was driving my daughter to nursery and singing Christmas songs when I saw him. It was like a smack in the face – it was absolutely tipping down.

“Apparently he has been living there for the past three months. My partner has seen him there. People stop and drop things off or chat to him. One person stopped just to shake his hand.”

After reading about Richard's plight, Sammii Wyburn from Calne set up a JustGiving page which raised £723 in two days.

A number of people have offered him a place to stay so he can visit his mum in the Royal United Hospital, Bath.

Marketing assistant Mrs Hicks, who works for Whitmore Financial in Trowbridge, said: “Richard has been wanting to get to Bath so he can visit his mum who has dementia.

"A group of women have got involved and promised to help him. He is currently staying at someone’s house and my boss, Andrew Whitmore, is trying to find him a job.

"Sammii has been looking for a caravan so he has somewhere permanent to live and so he can be self-sufficient.

“He doesn’t like being round big groups of people. Apparently there was talk of putting him in social housing but I don’t think he was comfortable with the idea. He is not dependent on drugs or alcohol.”

The fundraising page can be found at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/richards-home