"Until now it was assumed Batman was a fictional creation for DC Comics in 1939 who went on to star in a 1960s television series before launching the cult film franchise in 1989."
"But a Suffolk Gazette investigation has discovered the inspiration for the character was the true story of Bill Smith, who moved from Suffolk in England to America in 1870 and settled in New York where he worked in a butcher’s shop."
"We researched historical records in East Anglia and the US to piece together the remarkable story of how Mr Smith turned vigilante after his shop was repeatedly targeted by shoplifters." READ MORE