A homeless man (Billy Ray Harris) has become the centre of a global fundraising campaign - after returning a diamond engagement ring to a bride-to-be who dropped it in his coffee cup.

The act of selflessness by Harris, who sleeps under a bridge and spends his days in a square in Kansas City, has since been described as a ‘miracle’ by Ms Darling’s fiance, Bill Krejci.

Ms Darling and her fiance set up the fundraising page to thank Harris for returning the ring, hoping it would pull in $1,000.

Instead, over 6,000 pledges have flooded in from Asia, Europe and America, all wishing Harris well for his good deed. The donations, which on Tuesday afternoon stood at $151,000, are currently enough for Harris to get himself off the streets and buy a three-bedroom house in Kansas City.