A partygoer dressed as Batman turned real-life hero after chasing down a thief who stole a woman's handbag during a night out in Norwich.
Sonni Mason, 25, had been celebrating a friend's birthday on Saturday when he spotted a man allegedly grab a woman's bag outside a bar on Queen Street and run off. Refusing to stand by, the Batman-costumed man sprinted after the suspect through the city centre before flagging down a police officer.
DIY grappling hook fails, but backup arrives
The drama was not over. After tracking down the missing handbag near Norwich Cathedral, Sonni discovered it had been left beyond reach on a wall. His homemade grappling hook, constructed from a recycled toilet roll in true DIY superhero fashion, failed to save the day, The Mirror writes.
Luckily, the caped crusader had backup. Joined by friends dressed as Mr Fantastic, Poison Ivy and Cyclops, Sonni was able to recover the bag and help reunite it with its relieved owner.
Incident unfolds after a stranger joins the queue
The incident unfolded after a stranger joined Sonni and his friends as they queued outside a bar. Initially appearing friendly, the man allegedly accused two women of stealing his cigarettes before grabbing a handbag and fleeing. Sonni's quick thinking meant the bag was eventually recovered with everything still inside and returned to its owner.
"There's not a lot of good things going on in the world. At the time, being able to get someone's bag back, [making] sure she could go home safe and see[ing] someone happy again felt good", Sonni said, speaking to the Eastern Daily Press. "Everyone needs a little bit of that in them. A little bit of Batman. You have to be brave, bold and kind."
Viral video and everyday life
A TikTok video showing his heroic acts amassed more than 300,000 views. Sonni regularly posts to the social media platform, with videos depicting him dressed as superheroes, including Daredevil and Cyclops, but his latest outing allowed him to put his costume to a more practical use.
Despite his heroic efforts, Sonni admitted his everyday life bears little resemblance to that of Batman's billionaire alter ego, Bruce Wayne. He works at a local café and has a passion for filmmaking.
"I'm a bog-standard guy, to be honest, I currently work at a café, but I'm a creative at the core. I love films and have four or five years of experience in that industry. I didn't want to jump off rooftops or beat people up. I just want to make sure everyone else is all right. Sincerely, that's what [Batman] is about. He's a protector. I just hope more people will be inspired to do the same if they see someone being mugged or feeling uncomfortable on a night out."
Police confirm no arrests
Norfolk Police confirmed officers had been approached for assistance during their routine patrols on Saturday, September 19. No arrests were made.
A police spokesman said: "Officers on routine night-time economy patrols in Norwich were approached by a member of the public, on Saturday, September 19, who requested help to find a missing bag." The spokesman added: "Following enquiries at the scene, the bag was located with all of its contents intact and subsequently returned to its owner."
