Women are frightened of walking on May Hill alone because of a man in a Smurf costume pestering lone females.

Residents fear the man seen running around the rural beauty spot in the bizarre costume has sinister motives.

And they are worried that once the furore dies down, he will return in his skin-tight 'morph' outfit that covers him from head to toe in blue lycra.

Many women have now given up walking dogs and riding horses on the National Trust reserve.

Full story can be found in this week's Forester.