'Phantom piddler' strikes in Bury

  

RESIDENTS in a historic market town have been warned to be on the lookout for a “phantom piddler” after someone urinated through an elderly couple's letterbox.

Leonard Perren was taking his wife to church when he noticed an unidentified liquid had been squirted through the door of his home in Hatter Street, in Bury St Edmunds.

Despite it being a one-off incident, the 73-year-old - who has now sealed up his letterbox - believes it is indicative of a rise in anti-social behaviour caused by drinkers outside nearby pubs and bars in the town.

“We had gone downstairs one Sunday morning when I noticed a stream of liquid on the mat,” said Mr Perren, whose wife, Yvonne, has lived in the couple's house since she was five-years-old.

“Whatever it was had obviously come through the letterbox with some force and in a projectile manner, so I assumed it must have been urine.

“You have got to see the funny side of it but it is not a nice thing for someone to do.

“This time of year is not so bad but in the summer, when the weather is warmer, people tend to gather outside the bars and it can be impossible for visitors to the house to get to sleep because of where the bedrooms are.

“The smoking ban has made the problem worse although we accept there is nothing that can be done about that, but I would really like to see drinkers banned from congregating outside bars.”

St Edmundsbury Borough Councillor David Nettleton, who is a member of the Real Independent Party, said it was an “unfortunate incident”, which he hoped would be a one-off. But he said the town's nightlife was all-too often the first to be blamed for the behaviour of a handful of individuals who drink in the town.

“The majority of people who drink in Bury at night are just out to enjoy themselves, and it is about educating those that do cause a problem to quiet down and amend their behaviour,” he said.

“If you are trying to get to sleep then people out late can be a nuisance, but sounds are magnified at night because there is no background noise to conceal them.

“There is some bad behaviour and that is usually related to excess alcohol, but I do not think the problem is as bad as some people think it is.

“I hope the phantom piddler is soon caught before he commits further offences or damages himself.”