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A grateful Cardiff woman is searching for a homeless Good Samaritan who bought tears to her eyes with an act of kindness.

Jess Beynon is desperate to identify the unselfish stranger, who is known only as Darren.

She posted this on Facebook.

"Hi I was wondering if you could share for me. Today I had my faith in society well and truly restored!!!

"While in work today I had received three missed calls from a number I didn't recognise. Assuming it was something to do with PPI or an accident I've had in the last few yeas I ignored them. When the number called a fourth time though I answered ready to give them a mouthful.

"Instead I was asked if I was Jessica and if I was missing anything. I said I didn't think so and asked who it was.

"It was a guy called Darren who explained he was behind me in the Spar on the corner of Queen Street this morning. When I have gone to put my purse away as I was leaving I've missed my bag and just dropped my purse.

"He picked it up and was looking around to see where I had gone but he couldn't see me anymore. So he opened my purse and called the number that is inside.

"I have just been to meet him to get my purse back, only to find out Darren is homeless and is sleeping rough on the streets of Cardiff. Bless him, he was even apologising as he said he had taken some change out in order to call me to try and get my purse back to me.

"But other than £2-3, all of my cards, cash and even £48.50 in vouchers are all still there.

"I am absolutely gobsmacked as most people especially this time of year would have thought it was their lucky day finding a load of cash and vouchers and just kept it! Now I'm not being funny but if a man like Darren who has absolutely nothing to his name can do the right thing and be honest then why can't we all?

"I would have actually understood if anyone in his situation said 'Sorry, love, I've spent all the money but here's your cards and photos back'.

"It's made me realise how incredibly lucky I am. And not just to have got my stuff back but to be heading home tonight to a meal and a bed in the warm. So I have just taken him to get some food, given him some money to get himself a few warm drinks tonight and have told him I will be back tomorrow with some goodies for him to thank him.

"The world would be a much better place with more people like Darren in it!"

Jess told us she had gone to meet Darren at 8pm after she finished work.

“I went to meet him on Queen Street and when I went there it was a homeless gent," she said.

(Image: Jess Beynon)

“I was shocked that someone had returned it, and that the person who returned it was someone who had nothing.

“I got quite upset but he couldn’t stop apologising, saying he had taken some money out to phone me but that he would give it back.

“I said to him don’t be so silly. I asked him if he had anything to eat and he said no so I offered him some food and he said I didn’t have to do that.”

This video shows the heartbreaking conditions the homeless live with. Warning: It is very distressing footage

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Jess insisted and got him some chips. She also gave him £10 as a thank you - but he tried to give it back.

“He asked if I had any change because he had taken money out of my purse,” she said.

“He was trying to give me money back that I had given him as a thank you. My mum was in tears because she would not believe how nice he was.”

Jess is now looking for Darren again and has set up a JustGiving page to raise a small sum to help give him a Christmas to remember.

“I was quite moved by it, it upset me,” she said.

“Not only was I lucky that my purse was found by someone honest, but that I was going home to a warm home with central heating and warm clothes.

“He was off to try and find somewhere to sleep for the night. He could have taken the money and got himself a hotel for the evening. I would have understood that.

“And all my cards are contactless. He could have used them without knowing my pin numbers. Instead he gave it to me and straight away apologised for taking some money out to call me.”

Jess’ friends now want to take him something to say thank you, though she is not sure where to find Darren.

“He was about 5ft 7ins, of slim build with dark, brown hair,” she said.

He wore a thin dark jacket and had three hooded tops. Two were grey and one looked a bit yellow.

His trousers were black cargo pants with pockets on the legs. He had brown walking style shoes and had a pet mongrel bigger than a Jack Russel.

“It’s made my Christmas, it’s absolutely made my Christmas,” Jess said.

Do you know Darren? Contact james.mccarthy@walesonline.co.uk

Here's Jess's full post.