Many areas around the UK have their own tales of a costumed resident - some are just harmless eccentrics, whilst others do it to send some goodwill out or to raise money for good causes.

And then some, as the odd title of the episode will come to explain, and how the North Somerset area came to know from 2018 onwards, have a stranger reason - for the simple reason of instilling fear.

The episode contains details and descriptions of crimes and events that some listeners may find disturbing and or distressing, so discretion is advised whilst listening.

Music used in this episode: "The Descent" by Kevin Macleod. All music used is sourced from https://filmmusic.io/ and used under an Attribution Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Playlist Tracks

• Enough Is Never Enough - The Clockworks
• The Wind And The Rain - Cheap Teeth

The True Crime Enthusiast's Fundraiser For Macmillan Cancer Support

References: 

• Man accused of being ‘Somerset gimp’ guilty of deliberately scaring motorists | Crime | The Guardian
• Fear and sympathy: villagers on their encounters with the ‘Somerset gimp’ | Somerset | The Guardian
• North Somerset 'gimp' sightings: Teen describes freaky encounter - BBC News
• Man in custody following public nuisance incident in Bleadon | Avon and Somerset Police
• Pictured: Man suspected of being the Somerset Gimp appears in court | Daily Mail Online
• Man to face trial over ‘gimp’ suit offences in Somerset villages | UK news | The Guardian
• Joshua Hunt: Man who terrified Somerset drivers while 'writhing around' in gimp suit found guilty of public order offences | UK News | Sky News
• Joshua Hunt: Man accused of being ‘Somerset gimp’ wrote disturbing journal about masks, court hears | The Independent
• Joshua Hunt accused of being ‘Somerset gimp’ banned from wriggling on the ground | The Independent
• Gardener, 32, is found guilty of being the 'Somerset Gimp' and terrifying women driving home late at night (despite telling police: 'I am not a gimp, I do not own a gimp suit, I am not in a gimp suit') | Daily Mail Online
• Somerset man in gimp suit guilty of harassing women - BBC News
• Man, 32, accused of being 'Somerset Gimp' appears in court as he denies jumping out on women while dressed in latex outfit | Daily Mail Online
• Man accused of wearing Somerset ‘gimp suit’ to terrorise villagers has charges changed | The Independent
• 'Somerset Gimp' may have made his last late-night appearance (telegraph.co.uk)
• 'Somerset Gimp' found guilty of terrifying women in village - Somerset Live
• Somerset 'gimp man' trial live as Joshua Hunt found guilty of scaring women - Somerset Live
• 'Somerset Gimp' found guilty after he told police 'I am not a gimp' (telegraph.co.uk)
• Man remanded in custody after ‘gimp suit’ incidents in Somerset | UK news | The Guardian
• Joshua Hunt: How police unmasked man who wore latex gimp suit to frighten women - Bristol Live (bristolpost.co.uk)

The Gimp Man Of Essex - Facebook
The Gimp Man Of Essex - JustGiving Page

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