A partygoer dressed as Batman turned into a real-life superhero when he chased down a handbag thief and helped reunite a woman with her stolen belongings.
Sonni Mason, 25, had been celebrating a friend's birthday in Norwich on Saturday when he spotted a man snatching a woman's bag outside a bar on Queen Street. Still wearing his Batman costume, he sprang into action, chasing the suspect through the city centre before flagging down a police officer for help.
Chase and recovery
But his superhero stint was far from finished. After tracking down the missing handbag, he had to claim a wall near Norwich Cathedral to recover it.
And despite being dressed as Gotham City's famous crimefighter, Sonni's homemade grappling hook, made from a recycled toilet roll, wasn't quite up to the job. Instead, he needed a boost from one of his friends to reach the bag.
Superhero friends join in
Fortunately, his friends were suitably dressed for the occasion, with Mr Fantastic, Poison Ivy and Cyclops all joining Norwich's own Batman.
The ordeal began when a stranger joined Sonni and his friends as they queued outside a bar. Although he initially appeared 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.
Hero's message
Speaking to the Eastern Daily Press, Sonni said: "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."
"Everyone needs a little bit of that in them. A little bit of Batman. You have to be brave, bold and kind."
Footage of his unlikely crime-fighting adventure was shared on TikTok, where it has attracted more than 300,000 views.
Sonni regularly posts videos of himself dressed as superheroes, including Daredevil and Cyclops, but his latest outing gave him the chance to put his costume to a more practical use.
Everyday life
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.
He said: "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."
And while his costume might have inspired his actions, he explained he didn't imagine the night would take the heroic turn. He said: "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."
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."
