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One teen says he had a “freaky” late night encounter with a man in a “gimpsuit” who was “unpredictable, plopped on the floor, writhing and growling.”
The 19-year-old says he initially thought the unidentified man was intoxicated when he allegedly approached him and his friend in Cleeve, North Somerset, at about 12:25 a.m. Tuesday.
He claims the man “stepped onto the sidewalk, bent his body and flopped to the ground, without reaching out to catch himself.”
Similar sightings of a person wearing a full suit with a face covering have been previously reported in nearby villages of Claverham and Yatton in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
In the latest incident, the teen, who declined to be named, described the man as wearing a shiny, dark, head-to-toe bodysuit covered in mud, along with blue latex gloves.
He told the BBC the man had an ‘earthy’ smell that lingered even after he left.
A teenager says he met a man wearing a full body suit and face covering in Cleeve, North Somerset, who collapsed to the floor
“I don’t want this man to be seen as a bogeyman…but things like this, this invisible threat that he could be anywhere…it indirectly causes fear,” the teen added.
“It’s not just about the encounter, but the effect it has in waves through the community. It’s pretty heartbreaking.”
The teen said they felt concerned and in shock, but also laughed at the “absurdity” of the incident.
Officers arrived at the scene along with a dog unit and police helicopter and conducted a search. A man in his thirties has been arrested from an address in the area on suspicion of causing public nuisance.
He has since been released on bail but is subject to a curfew and is not allowed to leave his home between 9pm and 6am.
Acting Inspector Lee Kerslake, of the district police team, said: ‘We were quick to respond to this report because of its similarity to other previous incidents that have caused considerable unrest and distress to members of the public.
Reports of a ‘gimp man’ spotted dating back a few years – here’s a sighting in July 2019
“No one was physically injured in any of these incidents, but we know they are a matter of concern to the local community and we are determined to identify and stop the person(s) responsible.
“We remain open to the intentions of the man on Millier Road and whether the incident is related to others.
“To reassure the community, we are conducting additional patrols in the area and anyone concerned about this or any other incident is encouraged to speak to an officer.
“Anyone who has seen a man acting suspiciously in the Cleeve, Claverham or Yatton area on Monday/Tuesday or has CCTV, doorbell or dash cams that would assist our investigation are asked to contact us.”
It comes after 19-year-old Kiera Elston and her boyfriend Lewis Webb encountered a masked man in a gimp suit around 1am on June 26 as they were walking home in the village of Yatton.
Kiera Elston (pictured) was walking home with her boyfriend when they ran into a man in a latex bodysuit in June
Left terrified by the grisly incident, the pair ran to get away from the bizarre man, who Kiera said looked “proud” with his arms outstretched.
“It was the most terrifying experience of my life,” she told the Daily star after the incident.
‘I have the image in my head of him walking up to me and staring. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I had been alone. I’m still very shocked by it.’
Her boyfriend Lewis was equally concerned and said they were lucky to be together at the time.
A ‘gimp man’ has ‘terrorized’ sleepy villages in the West Country in recent years.
There have been suspected sightings of the man in Claverham last year and in 2019, with police investigations into the person responsible coming down. Two people were arrested and released without charge.
One person targeted in July 2019 even managed to get a photo of the alleged ‘gimp man’, showing him dressed in an all-black latex suit, with a mask covering his entire face.