Forget rubber gloves, this shopper was spotted buying his essential items clad in a full body latex suit.
The black-clad ‘gimp’ could be seen walking the aisles of Tesco in front of bemused locals in Colchester, Essex.
Staff and fellow shoppers posed for pictures and joked with the mystery man who was head-to-toe in the black suit.
Pictures and a video capture him in the aisles perusing quiches, washing up liquid and buying milk.
Despite his unusual appearance the self-declared “Gimp Man of Essex” was in the store to buy essential items for an elderly friend and to raise money for charity.
The unusual fundraiser has popped to the shops in his striking get up twice and says he is doing it to make people laugh as the nation reels from the impact of the coronavirus.
He said: “I just want to put a smile on people’s faces, to raise a bit of money for charity and it is a bit of fun whilst feeding your exhibitionist streak.
“I’ve never gone into supermarkets, but I thought with everything going on I’d go in to try and cheer everyone up and if they don’t let me in that’d be the end of it really.
“But I had a brilliant reception, I got chatting to the woman in front me as I started queuing up and everyone started taking pictures.
“The staff were great to as obviously they have been really stressed, quite a few of them said you have made coming to work today worthwhile.
“I got to the checkout with no problems, everyone seemed to enjoy seeing me and a woman said to me I haven’t been paid for three weeks and this is the first time I have laughed in weeks.
“I raise money charity, but I won’t make any bones about it wearing rubber feeds my exhibitionist streak, but I never thought I’d wear it in Tesco.
“Everyone needs to laugh where they can at the moment and I just hope the lockdown isn’t getting the better of people.”
The Gimp Man of Essex says he made an effort to avoid young children in the store and was doing essential shopping.
He has been raising money for Mid and North East Essex Mind for several years and keeps his identity secret.
Gimp Man started appearing in the area in 2014, and would donate £1 to chairty every time someone posted a picture of him on his Facebook page.
