Until last week, the biggest concern facing residents of the sleepy Somerset village of Claverham was the odd missed bin collection.

But that was before a man in a “full black rubbery” gimp suit began terrorising the local community, charging at lone individuals late at night while grunting and breathing heavily.

The mystery offender has targeted at least 14 local men and women while dressed in a range of disguises, sending a ripple of fear through Claverham, which has a population of just 2,000, and the neighbouring village of Yatton.

A woman in her 20s who managed to take a picture of the rubber-clad offender before fending him off at around 11.30pm on Thursday was left traumatised and terrified to go out in case he was watching her.

“I was walking along with my torch and looked up to see someone charging at me in a full black rubbery suit,” she told the BBC.

"He kept coming towards me and was touching his groin, grunting and breathing heavy.

"As I tried to take a step back he was right in front of my face and he put his leg forward. I was just trying to assess the situation in my head quickly.

"Everything was running through my head. I thought: 'This is it, I'm going to get attacked'.