A “cloud of vitriol” has enveloped a UK city due to a two-year campaign of anonymous poison pen letters, which has led some residents to relocate, reported the Guardian. The letters, described as “personal, obscene, and targeted,” have left the community shaken and distrustful.
These letters being sent to the village of Shiptonthorpe in East Yorkshire are not directly threatening.However, they contain offensive insults such as wishing cancer on one resident and calling another a “cow.”
Residents of Shiptonthorpe, home to just 500 people, describe feeling upset, frightened, and distrustful as “personal, obscene, and targeted” letters continue to spread fear in the close-knit community.One woman, who spoke to the BBC, shared her shock after receiving a vile letter in December 2022. The note accused her of using sexual favours to advance in local politics, calling her a “loose woman” and stating that the only way she’d succeed was by performing “unspeakable things to men.”
Another insult suggested she be “turned out on the Beverley Westwood pasture with the rest of the cows.”
“I ripped it up immediately. I couldn’t believe where it had come from or why I’d received it,” she said.
Her partner also received a letter, urging him to stop her from “roaming.” The fear of who might be behind the malicious notes has deeply unsettled them both. “I was frightened,” her partner confessed. “I didn’t know who else knew about this letter.”
Other letters have wished illness on villagers. One anonymous note told a resident: “I hope cancer finds you.” The campaign is reminiscent of a notorious 1920s case in Littlehampton, West Sussex, which even made its way to the House of Commons.
Despite police involvement, including a review of CCTV footage, no arrests have been made. The anonymous writer signs off each letter as “From a caring dear friend.”
One villager lamented the damage being done to their peaceful home: “People come here for a quiet, community-spirited life, and that’s being damaged badly by one or two devilish people.” The letters have left the village divided, with many unsure of who to trust. As the campaign of vitriol continues, the atmosphere in Shiptonthorpe remains fraught with fear.
These letters being sent to the village of Shiptonthorpe in East Yorkshire are not directly threatening.However, they contain offensive insults such as wishing cancer on one resident and calling another a “cow.”
Residents of Shiptonthorpe, home to just 500 people, describe feeling upset, frightened, and distrustful as “personal, obscene, and targeted” letters continue to spread fear in the close-knit community.One woman, who spoke to the BBC, shared her shock after receiving a vile letter in December 2022. The note accused her of using sexual favours to advance in local politics, calling her a “loose woman” and stating that the only way she’d succeed was by performing “unspeakable things to men.”
Another insult suggested she be “turned out on the Beverley Westwood pasture with the rest of the cows.”
“I ripped it up immediately. I couldn’t believe where it had come from or why I’d received it,” she said.
Her partner also received a letter, urging him to stop her from “roaming.” The fear of who might be behind the malicious notes has deeply unsettled them both. “I was frightened,” her partner confessed. “I didn’t know who else knew about this letter.”
Other letters have wished illness on villagers. One anonymous note told a resident: “I hope cancer finds you.” The campaign is reminiscent of a notorious 1920s case in Littlehampton, West Sussex, which even made its way to the House of Commons.
Despite police involvement, including a review of CCTV footage, no arrests have been made. The anonymous writer signs off each letter as “From a caring dear friend.”
One villager lamented the damage being done to their peaceful home: “People come here for a quiet, community-spirited life, and that’s being damaged badly by one or two devilish people.” The letters have left the village divided, with many unsure of who to trust. As the campaign of vitriol continues, the atmosphere in Shiptonthorpe remains fraught with fear.