A pensioner has sparked a global bidding war after donating his late wife's wedding dress to charity. The man, who has remained anonymous, gave the 1950s style vintage dress to St Gemma's Hospice charity shop in Leeds and enclosed a beautiful note in which he wished the new owner a long and happy marriage like his own. "I wish any lady who takes this dress to have a life with her loved one 56 years like I did. Happy years. I was a lucky man to marry a lady like mine," it read. The dress was put on auction site eBay by the charity and has generated huge interest, with bids currently over £8,000. The man did not leave his contact details when he made the donation but following an appeal, the organisation has managed to track him down and thank him for his touching gesture. "We have news! We have found the kind gentleman who donated the beautiful vintage wedding dress to St Gemma’s Hospice this week. He is over the moon that we are giving somebody the opportunity to buy the gorgeous gown on ebay. He is a big fan of St Gemma’s Hospice and is overwhelmed with the international attention that his late wife’s dress is generating. "He is so happy and proud that the hospice will benefit from funds raised by the auction of the dress. We have thanked him so much for his kindness and he would like to thank everyone for their support." The auction closes on June 19th and all the details are available here.