A MAN who handed out free cash to people in the street has reportedly been locked up in a mental hospital.

The man initially sparked mystery over his identity after he began giving out donations to amazed passers-by in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

He handed out $100 and $50 bills to people telling them to “pay it forward” and prompted comparisons with Robin Hood after he reportedly said he lived in the woods and talked about a movement coming to take the wealth from the “one per cent” and give it back to the people.

He was later identified as Richard Wright and his generosity caught the attention of local police who detained him. Sgt. Leanne Butler told Metro Canada: “The officers concluded that the gentleman should go to the hospital for further assessment by a medical health person.”

The paper said he is being held in the mental-health ward of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Charlottetown.

After he was detained his daughter Chelsey Wright posted a photo of him on Facebook to call attention to what she says has been his “unfair” treatment.

This was followed by a Facebook page started on Monday morning and titled #OpFreeRichardWright, which now has over 2,200 members.