The mystery of serial littering that plagued a housing estate in Cheshire, England, was finally unraveled, revealing an unexpected culprit – greedy squirrels with a penchant for half-eaten chocolates.
Dubbed ‘Wafergate’ by the locals, the saga unfolded over months as candy wrappers, particularly those of Blue Riband chocolates, mysteriously appeared throughout the community. The close-knit neighborhood engaged in daily discussions on their WhatsApp group, with theories and accusations circulating as residents tried to uncover the identity of the mysterious litterers.
Fiona Downes, a resident who first noticed the wrappers in September, took the initiative to address the issue on the group. “I posted a picture on our WhatsApp group, asking people to please pick up their wrappers if they’ve been eating chocolate bars,” she said. Despite her plea, no one confessed, and the wrappers continued to accumulate.
The mystery persisted until November when a local, working in a nearby RV storage facility, discovered dozens of Blue Ribands inside a dumpster. The revelation came full circle when another resident, Natalie Clarke, captured photos of squirrels carrying chocolates up a tree.
“Squirrels had clearly been in there and stolen them all. It only took three months to work out!” remarked Natalie. The community, initially caught up in theories about human littering or even the garbage collection crew, found amusement in the unexpected revelation.
Natalie humorously noted, “We were trying to work out who buys wafers from Aldi before we realized that squirrels were doing it.” The sheer volume of the stolen chocolate bars left residents astonished, with Fiona jokingly pondering how the squirrels managed to open the chocolate bars and speculating, “They probably won’t be able to walk now due to putting on so much weight.”
The entire episode, from the initial mystery to the revelation of the squirrels’ chocolate heist, has become a source of amusement for the community. Fiona concluded, “It’s been hilarious working it out,” as residents continue to find wrappers in unexpected places, keeping the laughter alive in the wake of the Wafergate saga.
