Police hunt terrifying ‘plague walker’ after children left terrified in small UK town
The character – believed to be dressed in the 17th century outfit for their daily coronavirus lockdown walk – has been spotted in Hellesdon, near Norwich, wearing a black cloak, hat and beak-like mask. Doctors of the bubonic plague wore the outfits, invented by Charles de L’Orme in 1630, to protect themselves against the deadly disease spread by rats. The protective gear often included a beak shaped nose, stuffed with herbs to act as a filter, a wax overcoat, a mask with glass eye openings and a cane to enable the medic to inspect the patient without making direct contact.
Police hope to find the historic-looking individual to pass on some “words of advice”.
Residents were torn over the outfit, with some saying it terrified children.
One person wrote on the community Facebook group: “Scared the life out of my missus. Terrifying for kids.”
Another added: “Just casually strolling around the village in a plague costume? That’s just not normal is it, do it indoors it’s bloody terrifying for poor little kids.”
But some saw the lighter side, saying: “I admit he is weird but what harm is he doing made me giggle.”
Norfolk Police said the individual hadn’t committed an offence – but wanted to inform them of the community’s response.
They said concerns were raised about “an individual who was seen walking around the Hellesdon area wearing a plague outfit”.
And they are “keen to trace the individual in order to provide words of advice about the implications of his actions on the local community”.
Fancy dress outfits have been a source of entertainment during these gloomy coronavirus lockdown days, as the number of cases across the globe sits at 3,117,756 to date.
Official records, show the global death toll has reached 217,207.
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Last week, a mum and daughter revealed they too wore daily outfits for their lockdown walks, aimed at boosting morale in the community.
Mum Kitten Von Mew, from Bearley, Warwickshire, said she wanted to brighten up lockdown.
Less sinister than the plague doctor, the pair have aired Harry Potter costumes, Halloween outfits and even Santa Claus.
During the pandemic, a postman has even been “dressing silly” to bring cheer to people’s homes.
Jon Matson, 39, a postman in Jarrow, has sported costumes from pochahontas to a pilot, to keep the isolated entertained.
After two-and-a-half-years delivering post in the North East, Mr Matson says he has got to know his customers personally and saw how lockdown was taking its toll.
He’s worn eight different outfits including a red cheerleading outfit, Egyptian fancy dress and Where’s Wally.
He told the Standard: “I noticed pretty much straight away how frightened people were and how the mood changed.
“I just thought I need to do something to lift people’s spirits and to give them something to laugh about.”
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