Roger Hayhurst, who also goes by the name Knight Warrior, hit the headlines in 2011 after it emerged he patrolled streets near his home in Swinton, Greater Manchester, breaking up fights and tackling anti-social behaviour.
Hayhurst vowed “to get crime off the streets” and even hoped to become the first elected mayor of Salford before a lack of funding scuppered his political ambitions.
Hayhurst, 20, who used a custom-made £200 blue-and-black lycra costume which his mother helped him buy from a US firm, was later joined by Rebecca, his 18-year-old fiance who met him after hearing of his bravery. She would go by the name Knight Maiden.
But Hayhurst, a gardener, has now scaled back his crime-fighting after being attacked while on patrol.
He told the Manchester Evening News, “We were recognised when we were walking thorough Clifton and some lads started punching me.
“My face was all swollen. After that I still dress up and occasionally patrol, but I mainly dress up for charity appearances.”
“Rebecca has got rid of her costume now.”
His mother, Jennifer, 61, admitted last year that she sometimes worried when he was out on the streets but the “police keep an eye on him”.
She added, “His absolute genuineness is his best defence. He is one of the kindest young men I know.”
The couple host a local radio show. Hayhurst hopes to emulate his hero ‘Superman’ by becoming a journalist.
