So the mysterious disappearance of garden ornaments, replaced by sinister ransom notes, was big news. Journalists were dispatched to investigate the "phantom gnome snatcher of Formby". Nearly 50 years on the mystery can be solved.
Yesterday a 62-year-old man calling himself Arthur went on Radio 2's Vernon Kay show to confess: it was him and he is sorry.
Arthur told Kay that he was 15 at the time and he committed the misdeeds with his five-year-old brother, Colin. "I still can't remember what made me do it," he said.
This story is from the November 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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