By Tim Binnall
The mysterious individual who had been roaming around his village in England while dressed as a plague doctor has been unmasked by police. The prankster made headlines last week when word of his weird walks through the community of Hellesdon wound up on social media. Clad in a long black cloak, hat, and the iconic beaked mask made infamous during the 17th century, the faux plague doctor sparked debate online as to whether his antics were scary or amusing.
Ultimately, the local police department indicated that they were looking into the matter and hoped to speak to the faux plague doctor. Either by way of a hot tip or perhaps an informant, the hunt reportedly did not last very long as cops announced that they had identified the person behind the character as, unsurprisingly, "a boy in his late teens." According to a police spokesperson, "the individual has been spoken to about the consequences his actions may have on some people in the local community and was given words of advice as a result."
Meanwhile, it would appear that the teenager in Hellesdon is not the only plague doctor making the rounds in England as a second individual wearing the unnerving costume has been seen in the London neighborhood of Crouch End. However, unlike in the aforementioned case, this particular person seems to be far less menacing as they were recently spotted lingering in the produce section of a grocery store and is known to tip their cap to passersby when walking down the street.