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Police probe 'plague doctor' seen scaring children near duck pond

Pranksters dressing up as 'plague doctors' have returned once again as police in Gloucester confirmed they are investigating a sinister figure seen scaring children near a duck pond. Pranksters dressing up as 'plague doctors' have returned once again as police in Gloucester confirmed they are investigating a sinister figure seen scaring children near a duck pond. 

Officers said they want to offer advice on the 'appropriateness' of the outfit, which is similar to those seen a number of times up and down the country throughout the pandemic.

A member of the public posted on social media on Sunday alerting people that a man wearing the mask was in Saintbridge near Coney Hill.Plague doctors thought beaked masks containing lavender would protect them During the plague doctors dressed in certain clothes they believed protected them from the airborne diseases.  T

hey wore long, ankle-length overcoats and bird-like beak filled with plants and herbs that had a smell, usually lavender. They also wore gloves, boots and wide hat. Historians think  the outfit was invented in 1619 by Charles de Lorme who got the idea for head-to-toe clothing from a soldier's armour. 

Chloe, from Coney Hill, said: 'I was there chilling at the duck pond on Sunday and I saw a man when I was walking on top of the bridge.'He was talking to the kids, and one child ran off because they were so scared.
'The group of children were very young and small, the one who ran off must have been about 10 years old.'

The man has been spotted wearing the mask and a long brown overcoat. A Gloucestershire police spokesperson said: 'We are aware an individual has been seen wearing medieval style costumes in and around Gloucester.

'While it is not an offence to dress in this way, we will be looking to speak to the individual to give advice on the appropriateness of the costume at this time.' Plague doctor costumes have appeared a number of times since the start of the pandemic earlier this year.

At the end of April, concerned locals in Norwich reported a prankster to police after seeing them wearing a long black cloak, hat and pointed beak-like mask. Norfolk Police later unmasked the ghoulish figure as a local teenager who had dressed up in the outfit as a joke.

Officers said they have spoken to the boy about the 'consequences of his actions', but he will escape prosecution unless he defies police to continue his display.Just days later, another eerie figure wandered through London's Crouch End, much to the amazement of locals who peered through their windows. 

As he went about his business in the capital, the prankster popped into a local supermarket and 'tipped his hat' to people as he passed them. A plague doctor was then also spotted at a protest in Hyde Park in July, where hundreds of activists had gathered to oppose the imminent policy of making face coverings mandatory in shops. 

The mask is similar to what doctors wore when they were treating people affected by the Bubonic Plague in the 17th Century.

Reference: Daily Mail: Tom Pyman For Mailonline 3 days ago: 24/09/2020