A campaign launched to help the homeless man who was begging in the foyer of the Manchester Arena when the bomb exploded killing 22 has raised almost £40,000 in under two days.

After the explosion, Chris Parker selflessly and heroically ran towards the blast zone to help those affected.

A GoFundMe campaign was set up by Michael Johns who had hoped to raise £1,000 for Chris.

By 8pm on Thursday, just over £38,000 has been raised by over 3,100 people in less than 48 hours. 

Glasgow Times:

The rough sleeper tearfully described the moment a woman died in his arms from the explosion set off as fans were leaving the venue after an Ariana Grande concert.

At the time of the blast, the 33-year-old was in the foyer area of the venue where he regularly goes to beg for money as concert crowds head home.

He recalled: "Everyone was piling out, all happy and everything else. As people were coming out of the glass doors I heard a bang and within a split second I saw a white flash, then smoke and then I heard screaming.

READ MORE: Homeless man cradled dying woman after Manchester explosion

"It knocked me to the floor and then I got up and instead of running away my gut instinct was to run back and try and help.

"There was people lying on the floor everywhere.

"I saw a little girl ... she had no legs. I wrapped her in one of the merchandise T-shirts and I said 'where is your mum and daddy?' She said 'my dad is at work, my mum is up there'."

He said he thought the child's mother had died from her injuries.

Mr Parker, who has slept rough in the city for about a year, said he also tended to a woman aged in her 60s who was badly hurt from the bombing with serious leg and head injuries.

He said: "She passed away in my arms. She was in her 60s and said she had been with her family."