IF you live in Essex, there is a good chance you have probably spotted one of the county’s most unusual fundraisers.

The Gimp Man of Essex spends his time walking around busy towns dressed in bondage outfit to raise cash for the mental health charity Mind.

Although his identity is still a complete secret, he has managed to raise £1,000 for the cause.

He said: “I’m a bit of a character so I like doing silly and daft things.

“I kept thinking about doing it and, after checking up and making sure it was legal, I finally worked up the courage to do it in June 2013."

But the idea did not start off as a fundraiser, but instead as a personal experiment to see how people would react.

He said: “I get my buzz out of walking around it in.

“With the rubber fetish thing, I always wondered what the reaction would be in the street. The reaction was fantastic."

Gimp man says that if he spots someone who looks uncomfortable with him he will give them a wide berth.

He also avoids weekends and school holidays, so he is not spotted by children who are old enough to ask parents awkward questions.

He raises cash by asking people who spot him to take pictures and post them on his Facebook and Twitter pages. For every picture posted, he donates £1 to the charity.

He picked Mind because he suffered from depression a few years ago. To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/Thegimpmanofessex.