A pair of perverts who swindled 15,000 people out of their socks to fulfil a bizarre foot fetish have inspired a “darkly funny and twisted” new short film.
The Southport sockmen tricked drinkers into handing over their socks “for charity” during the 1990s.
But when their homes were raided, police found an 18-inch deep “carpet” of socks – with socks hanging from lampshades and even covering the microwave.
Both men were jailed in 1998 for conspiring to commit acts of gross indecency,reports the Liverpool Echo.
While in prison the pair served out their time working in the laundry room - even cleaning other prisoners’ socks.
“Holes in their souls”, an independent film production company set up by Liverpool men Dave Hart and Ged Hunter, has launched a crowd-funding campaign to fund the short film.
They want to raise £10,000 within 28 days with £5,000 already secured through match-funding.
In a post on Facebook, the company said: “Holes in their Souls is a short film project that fuses both drama and documentary, based on a true story that has become one of Merseyside Police’s most bizarre cases to hit the headlines.
“To many it was just believed to be rumour or gossip, an urban legend or myth at best, but to others, it was all too shockingly real.”
Claiming to be collecting the socks for good causes the sockmen approached unsuspecting victims in the resort’s bars and clubs and paid revellers up to £5 for their footwear.
They made sure to take pictures of the victims with their socks and then meticulously tagged each pair with the donor’s name before wrapping them in sandwich bags.
They were found guilty of conspiring to commit acts of gross indecency, and at their trial on June 2, 1998, the extent of their fetish was revealed.
The court heard that when police raided one of the men’s flat they found 4,000 pairs in binbags in a cupboard.
Officers described their astonishment when they found they had to wade through a “carpet” of smelly socks.
“They were everywhere and anywhere,” an officer said.
“They were all over the furniture, hanging from lampshades and even in the microwave, frying pan and cooker.
"In my 25 years with the police I have never seen anything like it.”
The pair admitted incitement to wound each other and plotting to commit gross indecency with young men.
During their probe detectives advertised for duped sock owners to get in touch so they could be re-united. But not a single pair was claimed.
The socks were later donated to the Salvation Army.
Film director Andy Smith said: “Our aim is to successfully raise £10,000 within 28 days to help produce our darkly funny and twisted film.”
To contribute to the crowdfunding campaign, visit: crowdfunder.co.uk/holes-in-their-souls
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