Gofundme set up to raise £300 for Edinburgh busker whose guitar was smashed by 'drunk' woman earns more than £4,000

A fundraiser set up to help an Edinburgh busker buy a new guitar after a ‘drunk’ woman smashed his in the street has reached a staggering £4,200 in less than a day.

Matt Grant, a musician who regularly plays in Princes Street, appealed to the public for help after he claimed a passerby snatched his guitar and smashed it down onto the street, breaking it badly in several places on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old said the woman, who allegedly stole from him and broke his £300 instrument, was under the influence.

Matt Grant giving a thank you video message to all those who donated and a picture of his guitar after he claimed it was smashed up by a passerby picture: Matt Grant

Since the shocking interaction, Matt, who lives in Edinburgh, set up a gofundme page to initially raise £300 to replace his guitar.

But in just 20 hours, hundreds of people have donated and the page has reached a staggering £4,196.

The popular busker, originally from Bradford in Yorkshire, has posted a message today saying that he is “bowled over totally” by the support shown and will be investing the money in equipment for making music.

In a video posted on the fundraiser page the musician said: “I just want to say thank you to everyone who made a donation. I have closed the fundraiser page, and with the money I have received I have decided to reinvest it all back into musical equipment.

“I am just totally bowled over by everyone’s support and I just want to say thank you. I don’t quite know what to say.

"Thank you very much.

"I will be back out busking today and I will be back out doing what I love to do every day thanks to your help.”

In his original plea to the public for donations to help him fund a new guitar, Matt said the woman who allegedly stole his guitar was drunk and had been swearing and shouting in his face.

He described the incident as “the worst thing that could have happened” to a musician.

Talking about the attack Matt said: “The lady was a drunk. Often I don't rise to people coming up and talking nonsense but this lady was pushing it too far. She was in my face swearing and shouting at me. I told her to go away and she wasn't having any of it."

Police Scotland has been contacted for comment.

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