The Vatican is being urged to make John Bradburne a saint

A British missionary may be made a saint following reports that he miraculously cured a man of a brain tumour and the blood was seen dripping from his coffin.

The Vatican is being urged to make John Bradburne a saint by crowdfunders who are trying to raise £20,000 to beatify the missionary.

Campaigners have attracted an array of support from linguistics experts to the man who wrote the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony.

The money will go towards the Vatican's formal process of investigating the poet - in order to verify details of his life, including miracles attributed to him. In Mr Bradburne's case, a Scottish man's brain tumour was miraculously cured after praying to the saint, supporters claim.

If the Vatican canonises Mr Bradburne, he will be the first English person to become a Saint in nearly 50 years.

In 1970, Pope Paul VI canonised Cuthbert Mayne and 39 of his English and Welsh companions. The group, known as 'The 40 Martyrs of England and Wales' were a group of Catholic women and men who were executed for treason between 1535 and 1679.

Mr Bradburne was born in Skirwith, Cumbria the son of an Anglican Clergyman.

He aimed to go to University after finishing school in 1939, but was drafted straight into the army as World War II began.

He later converted to Catholicism following his experiences fighting in the War.

After having a religious experience in Malaya, and wondering through Europe and the Middle East he became the warden of a leper colony in Mutemwa, Zimbabwe.

He died in 1979, aged 58, after guerrilla fighters at war against white minority rule killed him when he refused to leave the colony.

Zimbabwe has never had a saint, and supporters of Mr Bradburne say efforts to canonise him have been held back due to the fact it would make the country's first saint a white man.

John visiting villagers in the leper colony in Mutemwa, Zimbabwe - where he became a warden

John with nuns in Zimbabwe, the Vatican is being urged to make him a saint

At his funeral, blood was seen dropping from his coffin. On inspection, nothing was seen inside his casket.

Since, several miracles have been attributed to Mr Bradburne, who wrote more than 6000 poems in his life.

One man in Scotland claims he was cured of a brain tumour after praying to him.

Staff and patients at Mutemwa, Zimbabwe, including a man in a wheelchair and an Christian aid van

John Bradburne and Jeromia, a patient in the leper colony

Tens of thousands of pilgrims now gather in Mutemwa every year to mark the anniversary of his death.

Mr Bradburne's niece, Celia Brigstocke, 63, is leading the campaign to beatify the missionary.

Ms Brigstocke, the secretary of the John Bradburne Memorial Society, told the Sunday Telegraph: 'People relate to John - they like the story, it's both sad, and also a very rewarding story. I think it's an inspiration to people.'

If the Vatican canonises Mr Bradburne (pictured with a dog) he will be the first English person to become a Saint in nearly 50 years

Mr Bradburne, pictured with friends in Mutemwa, may be made a saint following reports that he miraculously cured a man of a brain tumour and the blood was seen dripping from his coffin

John Bradburne with Fr. Dave Outside Mr Bradburne's hut known as 'Pipers Vale' in Zimbabwe

The novelist and screenwriter who the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, Frank Cottrell Boyce, has donated £400 to the campaign

'He hasn't tried to cure his weakness, he's taken it out there and given it to people. It's really beautiful,' he said.

'There's no big machine behind him - he's just a secular person, he's not a member of a religious order, he's not a priest as such, he's just a guy trying to live a good life. For logistical reasons those people are underrepresented in the canon as saints.'