Masked 'London's Batman' cleans litter and provides cost-of-living aid

Niko Omilana and Count Binface denied speculation about the masked figure

Cleanup and cost-of-living assistance

The Guardian described littering as a longstanding problem in London. It described the narration in one viral litter video as a deep, husky and American voice; the video showed hooded helpers clearing rubbish-strewn streets in Tower Hamlets. In that video, the figure said: “When I said I wanted to save London, I meant it. I will not stop until every single bit of trash is off the streets.” The litter collection was presented as the first of several good deeds after the figure’s move from Gotham to London.

Over the month since arriving, the figure paid parking fines for people visiting loved ones in hospital, distributed free fuel and brought back £1 chicken and chips for people who once savoured the cheap and filling after-school meal. A BBC reporter received only a time and location before the masked figure emerged in an alleyway. In that interview, the figure said: “People are struggling and I want to help them.”

Freddo offer and manifesto claims

The campaign’s Freddo offer echoed pledges in Niko Omilana’s 2021 London mayoral manifesto: turning off all power in London once a year to “call it Londoff,” forcing then-prime minister Boris Johnson to “shush” and reducing the price of a Freddo chocolate bar to 5p. The Guardian said the Freddo policy could suggest a bid for real political power, particularly if Omilana were behind the mask, but the report did not establish that connection. Omilana, a two-time political candidate, also ran against Rishi Sunak in the Richmond and Northallerton seat in 2024.

The Guardian said one of the masked figure’s most viral stunts was a stall on Oxford Street where a Freddo could be exchanged for a tiny, silver 5p coin. The Guardian noted that Freddos had never officially sold for 5p; the lowest documented retail prices were 2p in the 1970s and 10p in the 1990s and early 2000s. Musician Ace Clvrk, 32, encountered the stall while buying a guitar and said: “I was lucky that day I had exactly 5p. It felt like fate.”

Clvrk said that hooded, masked youths who “seemed really friendly” stopped him and asked: “Do you want to buy a Freddo?” He was guided to the stall, where he saw the caped crusader in person. The masked figure told him he was “trying to bring attention to lowering the cost of Freddos.”

The video promoting the discounted Freddos included a clip of Andy Burnham holding one and calling it the “most talked about cost of living symbol in the UK.” Burnham said he “might not be able to do anything to reduce the price of these.” The clip put the masked figure’s Freddo policy in a cost-of-living discussion involving Burnham, while the reporting left the person’s identity unconfirmed.

Identity denials and political speculation

Attention has turned to who is behind the mask. The Guardian named Omilana, a YouTuber and prankster who placed fifth in London’s 2021 mayoral election and has pulled off similar stunts, as the most obvious guess. When BBC London asked whether he was the city’s masked mystery saviour, Omilana sent a voice note saying: “BBC, just to tell you, I’m not Batman.”

The Guardian also included Count Binface, who has faced some of the nation’s most high-profile politicians in elections, among the names being discussed. He told The Guardian: “I can see why a human might think that ‘London’s Batman’ is me, but it is actually a bit armour-ist of you. We’re not all the same.” Binface added: “I’m happy to make the clarification and I would like to take the opportunity to wish London’s Batman well, including with his inevitable battle on the planet Copyright.”

The Guardian continued to describe Omilana as the most likely suspect despite both denials. The report did not establish who was behind the mask.

Resources behind the campaign

The fuel giveaway raised a separate question about the resources behind the activities. A resident who spoke to The Times estimated that the figure gave away more than £3,500 to motorists throughout one day. The Guardian described the social-media videos as slickly produced and the tasks as hardly cheap, saying the figure appeared to have significant resources behind him. The Guardian contacted several organisations that had benefited from the good deeds, but they declined to speak, citing confidentiality reasons.

Public reaction and online reach

Clvrk said the encounter looked like a well-run stunt. “Everyone that I spoke to was really friendly and the actual content came out looking great too. I don’t remember actually seeing the camera,” he said.

Clvrk also said: “I think everything he’s doing is amazing,” and added: “I’d vote for him, 100%.” He listed: “5p Freddo, £1 chicken and chips and paying for fuel. What’s not to love?”

Clvrk said: “Politics and prime ministers are removed from the everyday Londoner and British person on the streets who used to be able to get a Freddo for 10p or cheap chicken and chips.” He added: “With rising prices, it’s shining a light on things that seem small to those that are removed from it, but not for the everyday person.”

The Guardian said the message appeared to be resonating. The masked figure’s TikTok account had amassed 315,000 followers in just over four weeks. The reporting documents the litter cleanup, financial assistance and political imagery, but it leaves the central question open: who is ‘London’s Batman’?