'Missing' toilet roll saga takes new twist with ransom video brilliantly leading to donations for COVID-19 patients

The posters, which began appearing in Stockbridge last week, have led to donations to a just giving page for COVID-19 patients

The newest sign from the "kidnappers". Picture: Contributed

A mysterious "missing" toilet roll poster exchange which appeared in Stockbridge this week has taken a new twist with a final ransom sign and youtube video trail brilliantly leading to people donating to a just giving page for COVID-19 patients.

Following the exchange of two posters and a “ransom” which were attached to the railings close to the bridge on Saunders Street, a new poster appeared on Sunday evening stating that the original ransom instructions hadn’t been followed properly.

The second sign added by “Andrex’s kidnappers” then gives a website address where “new instructions can be found”.

The youtube video shows "Andrex" in a cage.

The link given leads to a youtube page and video posted by a user called Stockbridge Kidnapper and features a masked man stating that they no longer want sanitiser, they want “cold hard cash”.

The anonymous “kidnapper” then gives a series of instructions including telling people to deposit as much money as possible to another link given below the video.

Brilliantly, the link leads to a very worthy Just Giving page set up by Edinburgh resident Alison Williams, who has already raised over £19,000 to buy essential items for hospitalised COVID 19 patients in the Lothian area.

And it seems people have already been donating under the hashtag #freeAndrex.

People have already been donating under the #freeAndrex. Picture: contributed

Not content with just seeing donations go to a great cause, the kidnapper also instructed viewers to go to their windows or front doors at Thursday at 8pm and “make a lot of noise”.

Finally, they jokingly detail the things that will lead to Andrex “getting it”, if people don’t comply, stating: “If you involve the police he gets it. if you deviate from the plan he gets it. if you leave the house, except for daily exercise, medication or groceries, he gets it. If you don’t wash your hands for at least 20 seconds he gets it, if you don’t stay at least 2m from everyone else he gets it, if you visit your second home he gets it.”

You can find out more about, and donate to, Alison’s very worthy cause here