Two young chefs ‘a few beers down’ tell of their encounter with the Somerset Gimp 

Two young men who returned from the pub in Cleeve on Tuesday night claim they were accosted by the Somerset Gimp.

Alex Warren, 19, and his friend Charlie Bond say they were approached by the man wearing a PVC bodysuit and black form-fitting mask after drinking a few pints to celebrate Mr Bond’s birthday.

The pair said the man fell to the ground and began to writhe as he “speaked a demonic language.”

Several people have had similar encounters in the area since 2018.

Mr Warren told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘He was wearing latex gloves and covered in an earthy liquid as if he’d been rolling in fields or dipped in septic tanks – he didn’t impress anyone.

“After a minute or two he realized we’re two guys, a few beers away. My size is 6ft9ins and a force to be reckoned with. When the initial shock had turned to humor, he got up and took the cigarette.

“I tried to talk to him – person to person – about what’s going on and then he gets out. He takes the cigarette from the couch and starts to walk away.’

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.

“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.”

Mr Warren said he contacted police after the meeting.

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.