Police report almost 60 clown-related incidents in three days
- by Leah Brady
- in Worldwide
- — Oct 19, 2016
Thames Valley Police stressed to date nobody had been reported injured due to these incidents, which took place in Bracknell, Milton Keynes, Abingdon and Chesham.
Ch Insp Paul Staniforth said: "Gwent police will not tolerate such behaviour and anyone seeking to cause distress and potential harm to anyone will be dealt with".
Police said that despite sightings of the man dressed in a scary clown costume on Saturday night, no reports were made to them. "Kent is not the only county seeing this trend and while some might find it amusing, the act of frightening or threatening others may be enough to warrant criminal offences under the Public Order Act".
Since Friday 30th September, Northumbria Police has seen a rise in the number of incidences involving people dressed as clowns, not all reports have been an indication of trouble, some have been to report the sighting of clowns.
"People who might book you think there could be a couple of children who are nervous of clowns, so perhaps we won't book a clown, perhaps we'll book a bouncy castle".
The group, named Keep Clowns Out of Kent Force, was launched as police urged the public to act responsibly following a number of reports around the county relating to people dressing up as clowns and intimidating or causing fear to others.
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The U.N. and rights groups estimate the conflict has killed at least 9,000 people and displaced almost 3 million more. A USA official said that additional radars could have been used in the Saturday attack.
But Gloucestershire police have urged people not to take the law into their own hands.
All local authorities within the force area are circulating schools to ask children not to dress as clowns and to ask for help if they are frightened.
She says dressing up as a creepy clown and trying to scare people is no joking matter.
Last week a cyclist riding in Eastbourne, East Sussex, reported seeing a person dressed as a clown jump out from a bush holding a suspected weapon. Inspector Simon Starns, of Sussex Police, warned: "We will respond if someone feels threatened and the culprit could end up being arrested and then they won't find it so amusing".
He said: "We are now assessing a small number of reported "Killer Clown" incidents in London, three of which meet the threshold of a criminal offence". They could be arrested and ultimately end up with a criminal record.
