A police operation was launched after a man was filmed in the middle of the night walking along a country road – while dressed entirely in yellow and wearing a mask.
Officers conducted “proactive patrols” around the area in question amid claims the mystery masked man – who was also wearing a black wig – had been armed with a weapon.
But the person who captured the incident on camera insisted the man, who was wearing a long yellow coat, yellow trousers, and boots, was not armed, and passed off the claims as online speculation.
The Irish Mirror reports Gerard McFerran captured the footage when he encountered him on Vow Road, in the Kilrea area of County Derry, around 12:30am on December 27.
In an interview with Belfast Live, Gerard said: “I was driving down the Vow Road when I saw the man wearing in all yellow walking down the road and it seemed very strange.
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“I was asking him why he was dressed like that and he mostly ignored me and just kept walking. All he said was that ‘it wasn’t him’ and that he couldn’t get the mask off and that he had been staying with a friend after getting a train up here.
“It was all very strange and made no sense at all, but I have seen people on social media saying that the man was armed which is not something I ever said. I think because he was fidgeting in his pocket people thought this, but it wasn’t the case,” reports Belfast Live.
Police have announced that officers will be conducting proactive foot patrols in several locations today including Kilrea, Rasharkin and Dunloy, following reports of the suspicious man spotted in these areas.
Inspector Burns stated: “As a service, we take all reports very seriously and I hope that the visibility of our officers today, alongside our commitment to continue to patrol shared public spaces, provides reassurance and boosts confidence that we are committed to doing everything we can to make areas safe.
“If you are out and about and notice anything suspicious or perhaps you are concerned about the welfare of an individual, please report your concerns to our officers on the ground, or by calling 999 in an emergency, or 101 if it’s a non-emergency.”
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