Accommodation, £30k raised for homeless man who helped young victims of Manchester terror attack

Close to £30,000 and a roof for next six months have been raised for a homeless man who rushed in to help the injured children in the Manchester Arena bombing.

Pic courtsey: Reuters

Manchester: A roof over his head for six months and more than £30,000 has been raised for the homeless man who told of pulling nails from the bodies and faces of children injured in the Manchester Arena bombing.

A rough sleeper Stephen Jones recalled horror of sleeping close to the city centre arena when he heard a loud explosion. At first, he assumed that the blast was a firework, but when he saw screaming young children rushing out the arena, covered in blood, he was left frozen. 

Within seconds realizing the devastating impact of their injuries, the 35-year-old rushed to help the children, wiping out blood from their eyes and pulling out nails from another girl's face. 

"We were having to pull nails and bits of glass out of their arms and faces. They needed help and I like to think that someone would come and help me if I needed it," An emotional Stephen said.

"It's just instinct to go and help and it was children and it was a lot of children with blood all over them and crying and screaming. It had to be done, you had to help them. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself for walking away and leaving kids like that," he added. 

"If I didn't help, I wouldn't be able to live with myself for walking away and leaving kids like that. Just because I'm homeless it doesn't mean that I haven't got a heart and I'm not human still," Stephen said. 

Earlier in the day, another homeless man, Chris Parker, who rushed to help the blast victims, described the moment when an injured woman died in his arms after he rushed into the arena to help. He said that he aided a girl who he said lost both her legs in the attack. 

Taking a note of Stephen's selfless act, West Ham's owner co-chairman David Sullivan and his son Dave Junior vowed to pay for the homeless man's rent for six months to thank him for helping the victims of the Manchester suicide bombing. 

On the other hand, Chris Parker's estranged mother, Jessica, 57, has come forward to say she wants to be reunited with her hero son.

Jessica, who lost touch with Parker some years ago, said she had no idea that her son was sleeping rough on the streets of Manchester. She has contacted the M.E.N. and is now pleading for help to get back in touch with her son. She is even planning to travel to Manchester from her home in Norfolk to see him.