I found an short folk horror film from 1978 on You Tube called ‘Tarry Dan Tarry Dan’ (Scarey Old Spooky Man). It focuses on a small group of mid-teen boys who at one point are discussing the elderly tramp who is well know in the village. At 29 minutes in, they say the following, with the second boy making fun of the first…
“There’s something evil about that old guy. I can feel it. Sense it somehow”
“Yeah, yeah, he vandalises phone boxes didn’t you know”
The 1970s was definately a more innocent time…in some ways. The story is really quite disturbing and I doubt it would be seen fit for children these days.