Man dressed as cartoon mouse 'Jerry' demands cash from Edinburgh carer on Princes Street after photo pose

An Edinburgh support worker was left "shaking" after a man dressed as a cartoon character followed her up Princes Street demanding money - after posing for a picture with a woman she was looking after.

There have been several reports of a man dressed up as cartoon mouse 'Jerry' in Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens. Pictures: Mikadun-Shutterstock/ Gwenwork.

The 60-year-old said she and the woman, who has learning difficulties, then walked away and followed them and again demanded they delete the photo.

But Janet said she was "shaking" by this point and couldn't figure out how to delete as it was taken on the other woman's phone.

She said: "Eventually I gave him £2 and he walked away.

"It was a very frightening experience indeed so don't be fooled if he is still there."

'He Conned Me'

Janet said they arrived by bus on Princes Street at The Scott Monument on Friday, September 27th when the young woman she was with started waving at the man in the Jerry costume. The woman handed Janet her phone to take a picture of them together.

The man did not ask for money but when they walked away he held out his hand, which she presumed meant he wanted cash.

When she said 'no' he demanded she delete the picture and she tried to delete it two or three times but started to panic.

Janet, who is a support worker for adults with special needs, then took out her purse and handed him a £2 coin before walking away. She said he then waved to them "like nothing had gone on."

She added: "I was more concerned as I was with a very vulnerable young woman and he conned me, so he would have the ability to con anyone and not every vulnerable person is with a support worker."

Janet said that she did not report the matter to police but was a "little scared" and had "no idea what else he could be capable of."

But while on the bus last week she saw the same figure with the black bag standing in Princes Street gardens waving to people.

Reddit Conversation

A number of people online have since been discussing the issue on reddit, with the original post asking: "What's the deal with the guy dressed as Jerry in Princes Street Gardens?"

One reddit user, Jobbymus_Prime, claimed someone dressed as Jerry has been charging £5 for a picture with him and was harassing families to the point it "makes children cry."

It is not known whether the person in the Jerry costume works for a specific company or not.

The Edinburgh City Council website states that the local authority, along with Police Scotland, welcome responsible buskers who "brighten up the city."

By law, police can request buskers to stop performing where their performance is disturbing others.

If someone does not comply, the matter may be referred to the Procurator Fiscal and any equipment they have will be seized.

Anyone wanting to report a nuisance busker should contact Police Scotland on 101.

More details on busking rules in Edinburgh can be found on the Edinburgh City Council website here.