A town has rallied around fundraising pensioner Dale Howting who had £50 stolen by callous yobs.

Within hours of a GoFundMe page being launched well-wishers had donated more than £600 to the self-styled 'whistling postman'. The total now stands at more than £2,700.

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It means Dale, 87, of Sittingbourne no longer needs to dig into his own pocket to replace the cash meant for the Kent Air Ambulance and Demelza Children's Hospice.

And in an ironic twist, the unexpected rush of donations means he has also reached his dream of collecting a total of £300,000 for local charities. Until Monday, when his collecting box was ripped off his push bike by two thugs, he was £900 short.

He has been collecting on his bike since 1977.

Ryan Taylor, who set up the fundraising page, said: "The generosity from our local community and further afield has been outstanding. To think we have now raised more than £2,000 for Dale in under 48 hours is incredible and beyond something I imagined we would achieve in such a short time.

"It’s fair to say that Dale is exceptionally thankful and grateful for everyone’s donations and support right now. The amount of people who have been up to him over the past two days to wish him well and spur him on to keep raising the money for the charities he supports has been nothing but amazing!"

Since news of the theft was first announced on Kent Online Nikki Statham has approached The Lock Hub in West Street, Sittingbourne, to source a replacement lock-box for Dale to keep his donations safe.

This week he was back at his regular spot in Roman Square, Sittingbourne, collecting cash using a bucket.

Monday morning's takings were stolen as Dale bought National Lottery tickets from Coral bookmakers in East Street on his way home to Goodnestone Road. He had left his locked bike outside when two thieves grabbed it and carried it off with the lock still attached to a wheel.

It was found later abandoned but with Dale's collecting box wrenched off.

Dale said: "The reaction has been absolutely amazing. People have been wonderful. This was so unexpected. But I'm not going to stop collecting for charities. I plan to keep going until they carry me off!"

Well-wishers have been flocking his bike and have plied him with fivers and tenners. By the end of the week he had taken more than £1,000 but he insisted: "I am still going to pay that £50 back with my own money so people who donated on the Monday will know their money won't have gone to waste."

Video: Dale thanks everyone

Donate to Dale here.

Read more about Dale here.

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