A mysterious masked man has been sneakily spreading much-needed positivity throughout the village since lockdown began.
The figure, known only to the people as ‘El Bandido’, has been leaving ‘Thank you NHS’ banners and other playful decorations across Radlett as a sign of hope – he’s also been holding online competitions for kids on the Radlett Village Facebook group.
Legend has it that Mr Bandido also rides across the village on his trusted donkey, Pedro, though we’ve had no visual confirmation as of yet.
In an interview with the legend that is El Bandido, he said: “I’m just trying to cheer up a sad world at the moment. I’m trying to inject some fun into the situation and keep people smiling.
“I’ve always made clear that I’m not brushing over what’s going on – I’m just trying to bring a bit of light to our area. Sometimes I do take a step back and say ‘Maybe today’s not the day’ – we’ve lost a lot of lives.
“But at the same time, it’s always a good day to thank the NHS and a lot of people are enjoying it.”
El Bandido’s online competitions initially began as a way of getting children involved without any real sense of direction, but after one or two of them, local companies began queuing up to help by giving away some of their gift vouchers.
The enigmatic man, who’s posts have received hundreds of likes on social media, also said he has no plans to reveal his identity for the time being – though hinted at a tell-all article later down the line.
“For now, half the fun is in the mystery. I’ve had so many people message me and say, ‘I know who you are.’ None of them do, but the speculation is a laugh and I think kids get excitement out of the character. This isn’t about me as a person – it’s about having that sort of impact.”
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