Robin Hood and his merry men spark New York cash stampede

THREE mysterious Britons dressed as Robin Hood and his merry men caused a stampede in Manhattan when they threw $1,000 (€780) in the air.

The group — who said they were from Sheffield — apparently hoped their stunt would encourage people to be more polite to one another and “give something back”.

But according to the New York Post it caused a “mini-riot” in Washington Square Park as passers-by pushed and punched each other to get to the cash.

The newspaper said the trio, who called themselves the Modern Day Robin Hoods and would not give their full names, entered the park and announced through a megaphone: “What you are about to see will amaze you. We are mad Englishmen.” Daniel, a 6ft 6ins man dressed as Little John, said: “The world would be a better place if people were more courteous, but the English are very sceptical, so we decided to come to New York.”

The first man they approached refused an offer of $5 but when they tossed $1,000 in small notes into the air, the frenzy began.

“There were people pushing and people shoving,” Sally Caraballo, 38, told the Post. “I got a nasty little scrape and my butt hurts from getting pushed down.”

The group’s founder, Oliver said: “We hope this encourages people to give something back. It feels good to give.”