© Saul Loeb / AFP
British police have issued a warning amidst a "killer clown" craze sweeping the country that has seen some armed with knives following children to school and wielding "machetes" to terrorize drivers.
Police say they have been called to a string of incidents in which pranksters or criminals dressed in the circus costumes try to scare innocent bystanders.
The spate of spookings is thought to have been inspired by similar clown attacks across the US in the lead up to Halloween.
Clowns in Manchester, one armed with a "machete" thought to be fake, reportedly terrorized drivers stopped at traffic lights. Two emerged from behind the bushes and began running towards the cars, sending one driver fleeing through a red light.
Mother of two Alice Slattery told the
Telegraph that she turned to check on her children after Lilly, 4, began screaming while they were waiting at a traffic light. She then turned back to find a clown across her bonnet, prompting her to beep her horn and begin driving, forcing the clown to jump off.
As she sped away, she spotted a second clown "with something in his hand" who had been lurking behind the car.
Thames Valley Police, which covers an area from the west of London to central England, said on Sunday
it had been called to 14 spooky clown incidents in the previous 24 hours. Chief Superintendent Andy Boyd warned that the trend was wasting police resources.
Comment: A bit on the hysterical side. Both meanings of the word actually...