Criminals in Norwich will have to watch their backs as the city’s very own caped crusader has begun fighting crime under the cover of darkness.

Sonni Mason, 25, was dressed as Batman when he was on a night out for a friend’s birthday on Saturday.

He was suddenly forced to channel his inner superhero when he witnessed a handbag theft just as he and his friends queued outside a bar on Queen Street.

The city’s own Dark Knight ran after the criminal on foot and flagged down a police officer for help.

After tracking it down, Mr Mason then scaled a wall outside the cathedral to recover the bag.

His grappling hook made from recycled toilet roll did not do the job and so the hero needed a boost from a sidekick to climb the wall.

Sonni Mason, 25, was dressed as Batman when he was called into action as a real-life superhero

Mr Mason was seen retrieving the stolen bag from the cathedral and passing it back to its owner

The thief had stolen the bag after accusing two women of stealing cigarettes from him.

Mr Mason said the stranger had joined them in the queue, initially seeming friendly, before accusing the women of stealing from him.

He then snatched the bag and ran off, forcing the city’s new hero to spring into action.

The chase scene became a comic book crossover as Batman was joined by his friends, dressed as Mr Fantastic from the Fantastic Four, Poison Ivy from Batman and Cyclops from the X-Men.

Mr Mason shared parts of the night in a video on TikTok, which has been viewed more than 300,000 times. 

He regularly shares videos where he dresses as various superheroes, including Cyclops and Daredevil.

The bag was returned to its owner with all of its contents intact, however, Norfolk Police said no arrests were made. 

Mr Mason admitted that he does not share much in common with Bruce Wayne. 

Far from the billionaire philanthropist living in a mansion, Mr Mason works in a local cafe.

‘I’m a bog-standard guy, to be honest,’ he told the Eastern Daily Press. ‘I currently work at a cafe, but I’m a creative at the core. I love films and have four or five years of experience in that industry.’

Far from the billionaire playboy, the cafe worker described himself as a ‘bog-standard guy’

The grateful owner of the bag held it up after it her day was saved by the local hero

Mr Mason regularly shares videos of him dressed up as different superheroes

Mr Mason said: ‘There’s not a lot of good things going on in the world. At the time, being able to get someone’s bag back, [making] sure she could go home safe and see[ing] someone happy again felt good.

‘Everyone needs a little bit of that in them. A little bit of Batman. You have to be brave, bold and kind.

‘I didn’t want to jump off rooftops or beat people up. I just want to make sure everyone else is all right. Sincerely, that’s what [Batman] is about. He’s a protector.

‘I just hope more people will be inspired to do the same if they see someone being mugged or feeling uncomfortable on a night out.’

A Norfolk Police spokesman said: ‘Officers on routine night-time economy patrols in Norwich were approached by a member of the public, on Saturday, September 19, who requested help to find a missing bag.’

‘Following enquiries at the scene, the bag was located with all of its contents intact and subsequently returned to its owner.’