Mario lays his card trail again

A mystery man known only as the Mario Lanza Ghostwriter has returned his attentions to Stourbridge where he has left a new trail of his trademark signed beermats.

The 50-year-old mystery of the writer's true identity has deepened over the past few months with a large number of mats found in towns across the region.

Stourbridge has long been favoured by the phantom poet with many mats found around pubs and in phone boxes in and around the High Street through the years.

But after a quiet spell, a flurry of the mats, which are always signed AJW and feature a caricature of the popular singer and actor, have now been once again found in Stourbridge.

Many of them have been left next to books and magazines on the shelves of WHSmith, in the Ryemarket, with others found left in the telephone box outside the Crown Centre. All of them include a cryptic message giving hints as to the writers' true identity – which has not been revealed since the first mat was discovered more than 50 years ago.

It is currently believed the writer has left more than 2,000 mats bearing Mario Lanza's likeness. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said he had recently found one of the mats in WH Smith.

"I have been told since a lot of mats have been found in the bookshop recently," he said. "It seems like the mystery is set to continue for some time to come yet." Stourbridge Library has also been a common spot, but staff there are still no closer to uncovering his identity.

Mats have also been found at the Old Cat pub, in Wordsley High Street. Landlord Start Ball believed he was close to finding the writer's true identity but nothing came of his investigations.

The ghost writer has also been sending out scribblings of Wolves and Albion ahead of the Premiership play-off derby.