By night, he is mild-mannered Ivan Boneyard, a 33-year-old former public schoolboy who dreams of becoming a world-famous drummer.

By day he is Ivanman, a hero to the many perfect strangers he has startled with his random acts of kindness in the last three weeks.

When I joined him he wasnt really in the mood for acts of generosity. He was nursing a bad hangover.

Dressed in a Zorro mask, blue cape, black tights, striped shorts and a mask, he looked like Supermans homeless older brother after a heavy night on the Kryptonite.

But he rustled up some super-human zeal and £90 in cash and hit the streets aiming to pay three motorists parking tickets.

He said: Surprise is my secret weapon. I like to catch people out. The point is they didnt ask for help. I spring into their lives and spread a little joy when they least expect it.

Ivanman has lived in Hove with his long-term girlfriend for two years. He says a friend of a friend got in touch on behalf of a rich, anonymous benefactor who was looking to hire someone to wander around Brighton in a stupid costume committing acts of kindness.

His costume arrived in the post and several hundred pounds were wired into his bank account. He said: I genuinely dont know who they are, where they come from or why they are doing this, which is what makes it so much fun.

It soon transpired that paying peoples parking fines was not as easy as you might expect.

We walked around for an hour before finding a traffic warden attaching a ticket to a Land Rover.

When the driver finally arrived he refused to accept Ivanmans offer of help, pushed past him and instead had a heated argument with the warden about paying the ticket.

Smiling weakly, we made our excuses and left.

For the next three hours we traipsed the streets looking for hapless motorists to help.

One man swore at us and we had our collars felt by the police, who clearly thought Ivanman had something to do with Fathers 4 Justice, the Black Panthers or Islamic Jihad.

Undeterred, Ivanman continued looking for people to be kind to.

He bought a crying child a Kinder egg. Okay, the child wasnt crying until she was approached by a man in a mask but its the thought that counts.

Many people congratulated him but not everyone knew who he was. He waved enthusiastically as we passed two men pointing at us until one shouted: I know you. Youre Frankie Taggart from The Argus.

He might not be a celebrity yet but Ivanmans aura is almost messianic. As we walked down Duke Street he asked an elderly lady if she was enjoying her day.

I am now, she said, her face breaking into the benign grin of someone who has just experienced an epiphany.

Another pensioner touched his shoulder as she brushed by to bring her luck, she said.

Finally, we found our victim, 46-year-old Julian Shove, who was astounded to have £80 paid toward his £90 parking ticket (we had spent a tenner of his ticket money on drinks earlier).

He thanked us profusely and wandered away a more enlightened and happier man.

Ivanman said: Its hard work being a superhero. I think the traffic wardens got one up on me today. But it hasnt diminished my generosity or niceness and I will be bouncing back.

I might forget the parking fine idea but at least I have brought smiles to peoples faces and had a laugh.