They claim two friends were kicked out of a shopping center – because staff said they weren’t ‘appropriate’ in Halloween costumes.
Comedy actors Chris Cole and Paul Fox claim eight security officers kicked them out of the Bluewater shopping center in Greenheath, Kent after they turned up dressed as the devil and vampire.
Footage filmed by the pair shows an officer saying that their “control room has deemed it not really suitable for a “family shopping centre”.
The two ask the security guard what the “problem” is, to which he replies “No problem” and then calmly give their bosses initial instructions for them to leave.
The shopping center says the people were ejected from the premises because their behavior was not in line with its code of conduct for guests.
Police were also called following reports that were “causing concern for members of the public” and provided “words of advice” to the couple.
However, the Gravesend pair say they simply dressed up as their self-made characters, the Devil and Nostrils, to have some light-hearted fun on Saturday evening.
Cole, a Ukraine war veteran, said: “We’re entertaining actors, we’re not out to scare people – it’s a conversation thing.”
The friends had planned to go to the City Wall Wine Bar in Rochester that evening to raise money for a charity.
But, they decided to stop at Bluewater first and set out to do some shopping around 4 pm.
The 57-year-old said: “Even though we look really scary, kids really love us because kids aren’t afraid of Halloween anymore.
“Halloween is a big thing, they all go out and dress up so it’s very normal to see two other people looking scary.”
But soon after parking and entering M&S, he was approached by shopping center security guards, who began questioning him and later followed him into the store.
Cole said: “We didn’t get very far and then they stopped us and said, ‘You’ve got to go.’
“If it was dark, low light and we were jumping from behind the pillars I would understand but we were only there for a few minutes.”
He says he and Fox did not interact with the buyers unless they approached them first and did not scare the children.
He said: “The nostrils [Paul] Due to his Transylvanian accent he seems a bit silly and funny but he is very polite and gentlemanly.
“Whereas I, being the devil, am more mischievous so I always say to the kids ‘Is your room clean?’ And they say ‘yes’ and then I go ‘Well that’s no good, it must be dirty!’
“But the best part is that Mr. Jobsworth said ‘We can’t keep you here, you’re scaring the kids’ and at the same time, two little girls pulled my coat and said ‘Happy Halloween’ and that’s it.” “Could have come at a better time – all the kids were doing that.”
The pair said that their comedy is meant to bring some light-hearted entertainment to people and hope to continue playing the character in the future.
Police confirmed his presence around 4 pm on Saturday (November 2).
A spokesperson for the force said: “Kent Police were called to reports of two men dressed in Halloween costumes who were causing concern to members of the public inside Bluewater, Greenhithe.
“Officers attended and spoke to both individuals and provided advice.”
A spokesperson for the shopping center said: “On Saturday, two guests were escorted out of Bluewater by Kent Police and our security team because their behavior was not in line with our code of conduct for guests visiting the centre.”
