AN unknown nocturnal mischief-maker has been taking the leaflets down from a village noticeboard – night after night for two weeks.
Fliers about quizzes and bike rides are among those to have been torn from the board in Market Place, Ingatestone – leaving traders and politicians scratching their heads.
Paul Jeater, a parish councillor who lives in The Furlongs, said: "Why anyone would bother doing this I have no idea.
"At first we thought it was kids but it was too clean – they never leave a single scrap behind.
"They take every last notice, from charity music quizzes to my social bike rides, but, just to make it more interesting, they return all the pins.
"I have been in touch with shopkeepers from across the road and we've narrowed it down to taking place sometime between 10pm and 8am every day.
"It is absolutely bizarre – they don't even leave the notices in the nearby bin so they must be taking them home with them."
Mr Jeater, 60, uses the noticeboard to advertise the social bike rides that he organises every month.
He said: "The first I heard about it was when someone got in touch with me saying my notice about the bike rides had been taken down.
"You just can't think why someone would do this – and every night as well.
"I can't get my head round it.
"I suppose it is a prank."
Lucy Webb, 28, the owner of Market Place children's clothing boutique Loo Loo's, said: "I am just really intrigued to find out who is doing it.
"We have tried putting notices in hard to reach places and someone has tried pointing CCTV at it, but it's been too dark."
She added: "Why would anyone do it?
"It has been every night for two weeks, apart from last Saturday night."
Alan Pudney, the owner of Ingatestone Pet Shop which is opposite the billboard, said: "We can't understand what the motivation might be.
"It is baffling. It is not vandalism, I am not sure if it is even a crime, but it is puzzling beyond belief.
"I just want to get to the bottom of it.
"The only serious side to it is the charity events that might lose out, so if we catch them I think they should give a cheque to charity.
The vice-chairman of Ingatestone and Fryerning Parish Council, David Abrey, said: "There isn't really anything we can do about it but it is a shame that it is happening."
An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "We are aware of notices being removed from a community noticeboard in Ingatestone and enquiries are continuing."
