‘A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a little boy’s shoulders…’ Christian Bale murmured as Batman in The Dark Knight Rises.
They appear to be words that one particularly benevolent Londoner has taken to heart.
An anonymous philanthropist who has disguised himself under a Batman costume has taken to orchestrating generous stunts that gives back to local communities.
From paying for everyone’s petrol in a service station to subsidising the price of chicken and chips to a pound, the Good Samaritan has a creative approach to charity.
Standing outside London Eye last month, the self-proclaimed ‘saviour’ told followers on Instagram: ‘London, I am your Batman. For too long, we’ve been left without a hero. I will be the hero London deserves. Tell me your problems and I will make them go away.’
In his latest viral video, London’s Batman promised to pay for the fuel of all the drivers that attended south-east London petrol station for that one day, which was reported to total £3,500.
His reasoning? ‘Fuel prices are too high – so it’s time someone brings them down.’
Earlier today, UK inflation reached its highest level in nearly a year, largely fuelled by the Middle East energy shock which has pushed up the price of diesel and household energy.
An anonymous philanthropist who has disguised himself under a Batman costume has taken to orchestrating generous stunts that gives back to local communities
In his latest viral video, London’s Batman promised to pay for the fuel of all the drivers that attended south-east London petrol station for that one day
With average prices surpassing £2 a litre for the first time ever at the beginning of this month, desperate drivers snaked their way around around the Texaco garage on Elton Road and queued down the street to get their hands on Batman’s alleged £70 fuel vouchers.
A father felt particularly grateful to London’s Batman as he explained that his daughter, who was in the car, was seven-months pregnant and having his petrol paid for gave him some extra ‘peace’.
One cyclist even stopped and asked if London’s Batman would buy him a coffee as that was his ‘fuel’. In the next shot, he walks out the Texaco with a steaming takeaway.
‘Batman, we appreciate you, fuel prices in this economy have gone too high,’ a thankful customer said.
‘Londoners aren’t being looked out for’ Batman explained but said he wants the event to ‘give them hope for a better tomorrow’.
Chancellor John Healey has been facing growing pressure to slash Fuel Duty in the New Year in his first Budget next week.
London’s Batman told ITV News after his latest stunt: ‘We’ve got a lot of people doing a lot of talking but not enough doing. I’m here to do the doing. People are struggling, it’s very clear and obvious. We just want to help people.’
When asked what his message would be to Andy Burnham’s government ahead of the Budget, Batman responded: ‘Help people. That’s the most important thing … show it with action, not just words.’
In another heartwarming move, London’s Batman paid for the parking tickets around Kingston Hospital
At Selekt Chicken Archway, Batman offered £1 chicken and chips for several days in an effort to compensate for the increase in food prices since the start of the cost-of-living crisis
In another heartwarming move, London’s Batman paid for the parking tickets around Kingston Hospital – which reportedly has the most parking fines in the vicinity of any London hospital.
‘People in the hospital should not have to pay for their parking tickets,’ he insisted, adding that ‘this is a crime and Batman will fix it’.
One woman who had returned from hospital to find her parking ticket paid for said that Batman’s generous act had ‘turned her day around’.
‘All in a days work, and that’s what it means to be a hero,’ Batman answered.
At Selekt Chicken Archway, Batman offered £1 chicken and chips for several days in an effort to compensate for the increase in food prices since the start of the cost-of-living crisis.
Young schoolchildren were among the customers who took advantage of the discount.
When one suspicious customer asked ‘so, what’s the deal?’ London’s Batman answered, ‘We’re trying to bring back hope to London.’
The shopowner said he was ‘proud’ that he could ‘help the community’, with several young schoolchildren seen buying the subsidised fried food.
Batman was also seen helping workmen fix potholes outside a youth club, while in another video he comically joined a couple crossing the road to keep them safe – and even held their hand.
Sweaty commuters were reprieved of the hot Underground when Batman started handing out branded electronic fans: ‘We will not rest until all of London is cool.’
Outside Tottenham Court Road, he handed out Freddos (which have frequently been used as an inflation marker, particularly by young people online) for 5p.
With a group of masked men dressed in black, Batman picked up mounds of litter in a neighbourhood.
‘I will not stop until every single bit of trash is picked up off the streets,’ he said.
Niko Omilana, a YouTube prankster and 2021 London Mayoral independent candidate, has been the lead suspect for London Batman’s identity but he has denied any involvement.
