A woman who launched a fund-raising campaign to raise money for a disabled man mugged outside his home will meet the pensioner later today as donations topped £200,000.
Alan Barnes, 67, who is 4ft 6in and visually impaired, was left too scared to return to his home in Low Fell, Gateshead after he was pushed over outside.
The attacker demanded money and checked through his victim's pockets but ran off when Mr Barnes called for help.
Following reports of the attack, Katie Cutler, 21, set up an online fund on website Go Fund Me in a bid to raise £500 to help him with relocating.
Her target was quickly passed by noon yesterday and the page has since reached £221,563 donations from 17,142 people.
Mr Barnes said he is thinking of using the money to relocate somewhere new and will put the donations to good use.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: "I'm not going back there, I decided that instant I wouldn't go back to that house.
"You would remember it every time you went passed that foot path, wouldn't you?"
Ms Cutler, a beautician, said: “"I think now he could probably buy a nice little bungalow for himself with a nice little garden.
"Also I've had people contact me with regards to donating kitchens, bathrooms, carpets, offering plumbing services and electrical services so I think he is going to have a nice place to live."
The pair are expected to meet later today.
Mr Barnes' sister Carol Hill, 55, said her brother had been taken aback by all the attention his story had attracted.
She said: "He's done a lot of interviews and he's done TV, it's all getting a bit much I think.
"But it's been lovely, there are so many kind people out there giving very generously. He is overwhelmed by it all."
Mr Barnes is a well-known figure in Low Fell and is renowned for being able to quickly calculate how many days old someone is from their date of birth.
He has lived with disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant.
