A former soldier says donning a Batman costume in public helps the community and improves his mental health.
Jay Gough was inspired to build his own Caped Crusader suit after watching a video on social media - and now makes appearances at local events and schools in the full garb.
By day the 38-year-old works as an IT manager and represents Donnington on Telford & Wrekin Council in Shropshire.
But his alter ego brings a smile to children's faces and sees him raising money for two charities - Children with Cancer UK and Hope House.
Jay was discharged from the forces in 2015 after being diagnosed wth PTSD following service in Afghanistan.
He had moved to Telford with his wife Rachel in May 2013 during his time in the military.
As he worked to stem his mental health struggles he came across a video that changed his life.
Jay told the Shropshire Star he had been "at a very low point in my life for quite some time" when he came across New Zealand-based Kevin Stevens - known as the 'Wellington Batman'.
Jay made his first suit with Kevin's help based on the one Christian Bale wore in The Dark Knight.
After seeing Kevin's content, Jay said he thought: "I’ve got to do this, I need to do it. Telford needs a Batman."
Three years on, he has since made further suits based on costumes worn by other actors to play Bruce Wayne - Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck.
Jay said he doesn't take any money for events he appears at, instead telling them to donate directly to the charities he supports.
He estimates he has raised thousands.
During the Covid lockdowns, he would head out on his daily walks in costume, while reaching out to offer support on Facebook.
"I’m sure people thought ‘who’s this nutter?’" he said. "But I don’t care. I just wanted to make people happy."
Soon he was being driven around on a trailer as the classic 1960s Batman theme blasted out.
On a more serious note, Jay said becoming the Dark Knight has saved him from a very bleak place and he's not sure his marriage would have survived.
He had tried different types of therapy but said it was making things worse, and he finally said "enough is enough".
“Doing this, being Batman, gives me purpose. When I put that mask on, I am Batman. My problems do not exist, I’m there to make other people happy."
