A man in a Batman costume climbed a stone wall outside Norwich Cathedral at night, and came down with a stranger’s stolen handbag

A man dressed as Batman helped recover a stolen handbag during a night out in Norwich, England. Sonni Mason and a group of friends, all dressed as comic book characters, reportedly chased down a suspected thief after witnessing a purse snatching.

As reported by The Guardian, the incident began after an argument broke out in the line to enter a nightclub. Mason was joined in the pursuit by friends dressed as characters including Mister Fantastic from the Fantastic Four and Poison Ivy.

Before catching up to the alleged thief, the group flagged down police officers to report what they had seen. When they finally reached the suspect, however, the stolen handbag was nowhere to be found.

Batman had to go vertical to finish the job

The bag had been left on top of a tall stone wall outside Norwich Cathedral, roughly 300 meters from where the theft took place. After several failed attempts to get it down, Mason, still in his Batman costume, climbed the wall himself.

He retrieved the purse and returned it to its owner, who said all of her belongings were still inside. Mason later shared the recovery on TikTok as @redknightcreations, writing in the caption, “Be kind, be selfless, be brave, be Batman.”

In the comments, Mason explained that someone had “swiped someone bag over a pack of cigarettes out of spite.” He added that he, Poison Ivy, Mister Fantastic, and other costumed friends chased the man down.

Speaking to the SWNS news agency, Mason said, “I hope I can inspire people to be a little bit more like Batman.” He clarified that he meant helping others rather than running around in the dark in a costume, adding, “I didn’t expect to be scaling up a wall.”

Mason encouraged people to step in if they see someone being mugged or feeling uncomfortable on a night out. “It shouldn’t take a superhero costume to make you want to do that,” he said.

In July, a man dressed as Spider-Man went viral after jumping out of his Jeep to help a man in a wheelchair cross a busy street. The Jonesboro Police Department in Arkansas praised the gesture on social media, noting that there is “always time to do what’s right.” The Norwich clip spread amid another viral account of a couple’s honeymoon airport sprint.

It is not clear whether the suspected thief was arrested or charged in connection with the incident.