A masked figure dressed as infamous horror film character Michael Myers has reportedly been spotted in a quiet UK town, with locals left terrified. Footage of the mystery figure walking along Manor Way in Batley, West Yorkshire, was posted in the Batley Matters local Facebook group, where it quickly prompted a flurry of comments from residents.
The person can be seen sporting the distinctive white Michael Myers mask made famous by the Halloween slasher film series. However, some residents claimed the person had gone further than simply walking around in costume and had been chasing people in the area. One local resident alleged that one of those involved was a young mother who was with her toddler at the time, according to Yorkshire Live. They claimed she ran onto nearby Dark Lane in panic, narrowly avoiding traffic. The resident wrote: "This maybe funny to some, this idiot chased a young mother and her toddler, the outcome could’ve been a lot worse!"
Another local resident claimed their sister had also been chased by the masked figure.
They alleged she ran onto a main road without looking before eventually being helped by someone she knew.
The bizarre scenes have prompted a mixture of concern, criticism and jokes from people in the area.
One resident wrote: "Well I would s*** myself," while another said: "Oh gosh, that's not funny mate. Get help!"
Others have questioned what might be behind the unusual appearance, including whether it could be connected to a social media trend.
However, one resident suggested the incident was staged after claiming they had seen another post showing the masked person further down the road while somebody filmed from a car.
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The figure's appearance in early September also inevitably prompted jokes about Halloween having arrived in Batley almost two months early.
One person asked: "Is it Halloween already?", while another described the person as "a bit early". A third similarly joked: "Halloween come early."
Another resident suggested the attention surrounding the footage may have been the aim, writing: "Seems he has everyone talking about him, so he achieved his objective."
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "Police attended Manor Way in Batley at about 4.50pm yesterday (Monday) after receiving a report of a male in a costume acting suspiciously.
"No offences were reported. Enquiries led to a 16-year-old boy being spoken to about this matter."