Mannequins cause a stir

Three freaky characters are causing a stir with walkers and cyclists in a village deep in the Shropshire countryside.

People going past Lester and Julie Smout’s house in Walcot, near High Ercall, have been left intrigued by three mannequins which peer out from their home wearing an assortment of costumes.

The couple change the models’ clothes every few months and the mannequins have become something of a talking point in the village.

Cyclist Julie Jackson, from Atcham, said she almost fell off her bike the first time she saw the mannequins looking out at her.

“I was on a leisure cycle around Atcham and Walcot when I noticed them,” she said.

“They are really freaky and often dressed in different clothing. There is something about them which makes you look twice. It’s almost something out of a horror movie, it’s really weird.

“Nobody seemed to know why they are there, so me and my partner set up a website on the internet at the weekend about the Walcot mannequins mystery.”

Mrs Smout, 49, an accounts manager at the Enta Group in Telford, said her husband liked a joke and a laugh so they decided to put mannequins in their window.

“We change their costumes every so often and we almost feel forced to do it because it is such a talking point in the village,” she said.

“There is no significance to them really - it’s just a bit of fun for everyone. We keep having to come up with some new costume ideas to give everyone a bit of a laugh.”

Mr Smout said the mannequins were bought at an auction in Shrewsbury eight years ago.

The 54-year-old builder said: “I just saw them and thought I had to have them. I put them in my snooker room to start with then one day moved to the front room.

“They have become a tradition now. Some people might say it’s a bit eccentric. I am just a bit of a collector, I suppose.

“Our daughter Lucy helps dress them for each season. At the moment they are wearing ski gear. We actually have four - three males and a female. Three are downstairs and there’s one upstairs.”

The mannequins are not the only unusual objects the couple have.

They also have a red telephone box in their back garden and a flag pole with a Union Flag on their drive.