An anonymous writer of erotica has left residents of a quiet Yorkshire street ‘mystified and disturbed’ after targeting them with a series of lurid, sex-filled letters.
Shocked homeowners told how they received X-rated correspondence describing a ‘grubby’ affair between a vicar and a female chorister – which took on ‘a dark and sinister’ twist when a murder takes place.
Now South Yorkshire Police have been called in over the ‘suspicious’ material which has been posted to almost every address on Abbott Street in Hexthorpe, Doncaster over a series of weeks.
Residents of around 20 homes have received three unsigned letters which each reveal new details of developments in the case after the supposed affair began with a steamy encounter behind the church alter.
Locals told how they were left feeling ‘distressed’ and ‘unnerved’ by the unsolicited communications that ended in a request for donations to be made to recoup the author’s costs.
The episode has echoes of the 2023 comedy Wicked Little Letters, starring Olivia Coleman and Jessie Buckley, about a small community scandalised by the posting of a string of lurid letters.
An anonymous writer of erotica has left residents of a quiet Yorkshire street ‘mystified and disturbed’ after targeting them with a series of lurid, sex-filled letters
Josette Blagdon, 61, said she had been ‘unnerved’ after a mystery writer penned the letters – and sent them to three addresses in Abbott Street in Hexthorpe, Doncaster
One local told how she was initially amused after receiving the first of the Abbott Street Letters outlining how the steamy relationship began in ‘a magical moment behind the altar’
The episode has echoes of the 2023 comedy Wicked Little Letters, starring Olivia Coleman and Jessie Buckley , about a small community scandalised by the posting of a string of lurid letters
A GoFundMe page set up to receive payments has been taken down after the online platform said the purported appeal broke rules banning ‘fundraisers that are fraudulent, misleading, inaccurate, dishonest or impossible’.
Residents on the street made up of Victorian terraced houses which sell for around £75,000 told how they were baffled as to why the mystery author had singled them out as the recipients of the account of the apparently fictitious sex scandal.
A number of householders – including parents with young children – binned the correspondence while others retained them ‘as evidence’.
The file of letters, seen by MailOnline, are typed on A4 sized paper but posted in hand-written envelopes addressed to ‘The Resident Adult(s)’.
The postmarks indicate the correspondence was sent in London, 170 miles away.
Indications suggest the letters were dispatched from the Royal Mail’s Mount Pleasant sorting offices in Farringdon Road.
The total word count across the letters to date currently runs to more than 1,700.
One local told how she was initially amused after receiving the first of the Abbott Street Letters outlining how the steamy relationship began in ‘a magical moment behind the altar’.
The letter, apparently written to the clergyman by the parishioner called Contralto, continued: ‘Scarcely could I have imagined that choir practice – usually a pleasant but somewhat banal way to spend a Wednesday evening – would turn into such an explosion of intoxication and elation, made all the more heavenly by the moonlight shining upon us through the stained-glass windows.
‘What a lovely thought to invite me to share in the leftover Communion wine after practice. But even at that arousing point, I did not expect such fervour to take hold.’
In the innuendo-laden account of the affair, Contralto pleaded with the cleric to attend the next practice session so that ‘I can worship at your alter again, once my fellow choir members have departed’.
She suggests that ‘perhaps this time we might be wise to venture up to the belfry, ‘lest any late night worshippers stumble across a passion that they could hardly be expected to comprehend’.
The letters outline a fictional story about an affair between a clergyman and a lustful chorister. The affair ends in bloodshed after the female choir director burst in on the pair in the belfry
Whoever has penned the murderous, erotic fiction has left the householders of Abbott Street perplexed and wondering as to the identity of the mysterious author
But in the second letter, posted a week later, the affair ends in bloodshed after the female choir director burst in on the pair in the belfry.
It outlines how the clergyman armed himself with a candlestick before chasing ‘the hysterical incomer’ down the stairs.
The author describes how she heard a shriek followed by ‘a final thud’ that ‘sent a shiver down my spine’.
The crime scene is apparently cleared up before Contralto suggests they flee to start a new life in Paris or South America.
In the third letter she is describing herself as ‘a scorned lover’ after the reverend vanishes along with his distinctive red motorcycle and Contralto threatens to report his wrongdoing to the bishop.
She wrote: ‘Clearly my own hopes of an elopement together are as dead and buried as the woman you disposed of. Can I (or should I) really protect you if, and when, the net closes in? With each passing day, I become less sure.’
One Abbott Street resident, who gave her name as Katrina, said that while she found the first letter humorous, she became ‘uneasy’ after receiving more.
She said: ‘The first one I found amusing, thinking someone had sent it as a joke. I brought it into work and myself and the staff had a good giggle about it.
‘Then the second was delivered and I found it dark, to say the least, and if I’m honest it did get me wondering if it was someone trying to confess to something in a strange sort of way.
‘I wasn’t aware that they had been delivered to almost everyone on the street as I work long hours as part of the management team in a care home.
‘It did scare me a little, the second letter, and I was a little worried about it. I was debating speaking to the police about it.’
Josette Blagdon, 61, said she had been ‘unnerved’ after receiving ‘the strange letters’.
Ms Blagdon, who has lived on the street for 41 years, told how she threw the letters away after a relative warned her that they could be an elaborate scam.
She said: ‘They’re quite disturbing and explicit and people on the street are puzzled by them.
After initially piquing her inerterst, Ms Blagdon, who has lived on the street for 41 years, said she threw the letters away after a relative warned her that they could be an elaborate scam
It is not clear who the author is – but someone claiming to be responsible contacted a local news website to say that more letters will be on their way
‘We have thrown ours away but other families contacted the police because they’ve got young kids. They don’t want these dark letters coming through the letterbox.
‘It’s set rumours going on the street. Who is this person? Why are they sending us letters? What’s their agenda?’
Ms Blagdon, who lives alone, added: ‘I thought it might be a scam because it’s all so weird… Whoever is doing this needs to get a life. They’re very sad characters.
‘I live on my own and it made me feel uncomfortable. I kept on thinking why are they doing this? What’s the purpose? What could they achieve through it?
‘Maybe it’s somebody local who thinks they’re the next Stephen King or Richard Osman.
‘They’re quite delusional to think that. If it was a book, it’d probably be pulped.
‘If another letter drops through the door, I’ll probably just throw it in the bin.
‘It’s really quite disturbing, especially for elderly people around here.
‘I just think they need to get a life and leave us alone.
‘I’m not surprised the police have been contacted because it is really quite disturbing.’
It is not clear whether the real author of the letters is male or female but an individual claiming to be responsible has now contacted a local news website to say that more letters will be on their way.
The alleged writer, who has described themselves as ‘your unknown author, insisted they did not intend to cause distress.
They said: ‘I want it to bring amusement, intrigue and excitement to the readers.
‘On a selfish note, I’ve also been enjoying this project and it’s been a nice outlet for me.’
Wicked Little Letters is based on a true story of Rose Gooding and Edith Swan in the 1920s. Known as the Littlehampton Letters, Edith accused Rose of sending her obscene notes
Describing the racy content the alleged author said: ‘Admittedly, The Doncaster Letters do depict a couple of slightly grubby sex scenes early on, and I’m sorry if anyone is offended by that.
‘It’s the reason why they’re addressed to ‘The Resident Adult’, but I hope that people will ultimately see that the wider themes of the story are much more edifying and honourable.
‘My further desire is that people find the tone of the early letters, and the amount of innuendo when describing those scenes, more amusing than threatening.
‘If I do become aware that people are genuinely distressed/worried by the letters, then they will stop. But that would seem a shame, particularly at this early juncture.’
Of their future plans they wrote: ‘I wouldn’t like to give too much away on how many are to come, but they won’t carry on forever. I hope people enjoy receiving them while they last.’
The author insisted that the GoFundMe account was set up to help fund the costs of the enterprise.
They said: ‘The number of letters that I send will depend on my ability to afford the ever-increasing cost of printing, envelopes and postage.’
South Yorkshire Police confirmed it had received reports over concerns about the letters but had not identified that a crime had been committed.
They said the incident ‘has been filed’.
A spokesperson said: ‘We responded to reports of a suspicious item being posted to an address on Abbott Road, Doncaster.
‘A woman reported that she has received two letters from an unknown sender.’
