Parker (pictured) had been sleeping rough near the arena that night and stole a mobile phone and a purse

More than £50,000 in donations to a homeless 'hero' of the Manchester terror attack are to be refunded after he admitted stealing from dying victims.

Chris Parker, 33, took injured Pauline Healey's purse as her 14-year-old granddaughter Sorrell Leczkowski lay dying just minutes after the atrocity which killed 22 innocent people.

Graphic footage was played at Manchester Crown Court which showed Parker kneeling over bodies, rifling their bags and taking photographs of dead bodies as he made his way through the foyer to try and steal from victims.

More than 3,700 people gave a total of £52,539 in good faith after Parker's sham story spread around the world.

Michael Johns, who started the fundraising appeal, said all the money will be now refunded.

In a statement on the GoFundMe page, Mr Johns said: 'I would like to extend my sympathies to his victims that night and also apologise to them for any distress this campaign may have caused them whilst they continue to recover and grieve.'

He added that GoFundMe policy prevents him from giving the funds to any other charity or cause.

CCTV footage showed Parker prodding Mrs Healey's body to check if she was still alive before stealing her purse just moments after the attack on May 22.

The thief, who had been sleeping rough nearby that night, later stole a teenage girl's iPhone 6 and used Mrs Healey's bank card to buy food in McDonald's.

Just minutes earlier at least 400 people were injured following an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.

He had initially been hailed a 'hero' after he described wrapping an injured girl in a T-shirt and cradled a dying woman in his arms.

But he was arrested after CCTV footage showed him stealing the purse of Mrs Healey as her granddaughter lay dying yards away and also taking the mobile phone.

The horrifying footage was played as Parker, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to stealing a purse, a second charge of theft of an iPhone 6 from a girl - who cannot be named - and fraud by using one of Mrs Healey's cards.

He denied further charges of attempting to steal the content of a handbag, attempted theft of a coat, using Mrs Healey's bank card in a Tesco store and of using it on the Greater Manchester public transport system.

After the pleas, it emerged he had been on the run for a month when he was bailed to a hostel on condition he wore an electronic tag.

It is believed he cut the tag off and dumped it in a soup can before failing to appear in court on December 6. A warrant was issued for his arrest three days before Christmas.

The attack in May last year (pictured) killed 22 innocent people and left more than 400 injured

Shocking 20 minute video shows shameless homeless man steal from terror victims In a 20 minute compilation of CCTV footage from the arena, too graphic to be released, the defendant is seen going in and out of the foyer, walking around various parts of the entrance. The footage begins with scenes of crowds leaving the arena visibly flinching as the bomb detonates and a second later terrified concert-goers putting their hands to their mouths and running. Moments later people gingerly return to the smoke-logged bomb scene and though the footage is pixelated, it is clear there are bodies strewn across the area. There are also pools of blood and what appear to be body parts and pixelated mounds of people, not moving. Parker, carrying a rucksack on his back and wearing a woolly cap, is seen walking around, clearly agitated, either looking at his phone or with it to his ear, as dazed people wander around. The defendant appears to go to the aid of one woman, crouching down as she sits up. Police and what appear to be arena staff in hi-visibility jackets then appear before more police arrive en masse. He also speaks to one bewildered young girl, comforting her along with a police officer. The youngster's mother is believed to be one of the fatalities. Advertisement

Parker was detained on Tuesday evening when police found him hiding in a loft hours after he failed to show up for his trial having earlier told his ex-girlfriend he planned to give himself up.

The court also heard that after his arrest Parker had been remanded in custody at HMP Manchester but was unable to leave his cell because of death threats from fellow inmates.

He showed no emotion and bowed his head in the dock as prosecutor Louise Brandon said: 'He has admitted stealing items from the victims of the terror attack at Manchester Arena.

'Under these circumstances the prosecution accept his pleas and will not be looking for a trial on the remaining counts.'

John Broadley, defending, said: 'The only thing he can do is plead guilty and sincerely apologise for his appalling behaviour on that evening.

'The defendant does not shirk from the fact this will be a custodial sentence.'

Parker will be sentenced on January 30 and was remanded in custody. Judge David Hernandez said: 'A custodial sentence is likely in this case.

'Christopher Parker you have pleaded guilty to the counts on the indictment and the prosecution accept these.'

Earlier the footage showed Parker looking over his shoulder as people run in the foyer after the explosion.

Chris Parker pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday to stealing a purse and a mobile phone from victims of the attack

Parker ended up being reunited with his mother Jessica (pictured) after his story went around the world following the attack

More than £50,000 was raised after a GoFundMe page was set up for Parker following the attack

He went on his own mobile phone before going into the arena and walked past bodies and was kneeling over them.

He kicked a bag and looked inside it before walking around around talking to police at the scene.

Seconds later he was back on his phone again before squatting on the floor appearing to looking for items.

Parker was seen to pick up a phone but was not seen putting it down again.

He was also seen speaking outside the venue to a child believed to be 12-year-old Millie Kiss whose mother Michelle died in the explosion.

He spent several moments with the girl before going back on his phone and returning inside the arena where he was spotted taking photographs of the scene.

Parker was seen to bend down over Mrs Healey and touch her before picking up her bag and looking in it. He was also taking pictures of her.

Photos found on his phone showed bodies strewn around the floor in the foyer, a shirtless man being tended to as he lay seriously injured and a third picture of Mrs Healey with her hand over her face eyes closed in pain.

A fourth image showed a pound coin next to a nail shrapnel.

The grandmother underwent 15 hours of surgery to remove shrapnel from her body and also suffered multiple compound fractures to her arms and legs, while Sorrell's mother was also seriously injured.

Sorrell, who was a pupil at Allerton High School in Leeds, was hoping to be an architect and wanted to study at Columbia University in New York.

Shocking moment homeless man says he would 'happily do it all over again' when pretending to be a hero

Chris Parker, 33, became an overnight celebrity after he claimed he helped injured victims following the atrocity.

But he denied being a 'hero' and said he was simply a 'regular guy' who ran into the Manchester Arena because he 'heard children screaming'.

But he was later found to be a fraud after he admitted stealing from the victims when they were fighting for their lives.

Speaking just days after the attack, he said: 'My name is Chris Parker. I'm supposed to be a hero, but I'm not a hero.

Chris Parker (pictured) spoke just days after the attack and said that was just a 'regular guy'

'I'm just a normal guy. Just a normal, regular guy who ran into the arena that night all because I heard kids screaming - I had no choice. And I'd do it all over again quite happily.

'I'm still homeless on the streets, even though the public has been funding all these funds.

'The funds don't get released until next week so I'm struggling, really struggling.

'Someone's even just bought me chicken and chips for god's sake.

'I'm hoping to get my family back together, that's what I'm hoping to get. It would be a big start for me.'