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| 'Scary clown' craze prompts UK police warning to fancy dress shops | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Fancy dress shops have been urged by police not to sell clown costumes to children because of the rise of the craze for frightening people whilst wearing them. | |
| Northumbria police officers have visited shops in Newcastle, including one that has sold out of a £34.99 “scary clown” outfit for children and adults. | Northumbria police officers have visited shops in Newcastle, including one that has sold out of a £34.99 “scary clown” outfit for children and adults. |
| Graeme Shaw, a partner at Magic Box, one of Newcastle’s best-known fancy dress shops, said his store would continue to sell clown costumes despite the “ridiculous” police action. | Graeme Shaw, a partner at Magic Box, one of Newcastle’s best-known fancy dress shops, said his store would continue to sell clown costumes despite the “ridiculous” police action. |
| The police action follows scores of clown-related incidents across the UK after the craze took off in the US. In Kent alone, police received reports of 59 clown-related incidents in just three days. | |
| In one of the latest incidents, officers from Scotland Yard’s aviation unit held a suspect in Hillingdon, west London, on Tuesday, about five miles (8km) from Heathrow, after he was spotted wearing the mask and carrying a fake firearm. | In one of the latest incidents, officers from Scotland Yard’s aviation unit held a suspect in Hillingdon, west London, on Tuesday, about five miles (8km) from Heathrow, after he was spotted wearing the mask and carrying a fake firearm. |
| A force spokesman said: “On Tuesday 11 October police were called shortly before 3.45pm to reports of a man seen in a car with a suspected firearm wearing a mask in the Church Green area of Hayes. Armed officers from Heathrow’s aviation policing unit stopped the car on Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, and an imitation firearm was recovered. | A force spokesman said: “On Tuesday 11 October police were called shortly before 3.45pm to reports of a man seen in a car with a suspected firearm wearing a mask in the Church Green area of Hayes. Armed officers from Heathrow’s aviation policing unit stopped the car on Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, and an imitation firearm was recovered. |
| “The driver was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm and taken into custody at a west London police station.” | “The driver was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm and taken into custody at a west London police station.” |
| Vera Baird, the police and crime commissioner for Northumbria, told BBC radio on Wednesday that officers were now asking shops to stop selling clown costumes. | Vera Baird, the police and crime commissioner for Northumbria, told BBC radio on Wednesday that officers were now asking shops to stop selling clown costumes. |
| Police officers are also carrying out high-visibility patrols at schools after an incident in nearby Durham, where a man dressed as a clown and carrying a knife followed four children, aged 11 and 12, to school on Friday. The children were left distressed but unhurt, police said. | Police officers are also carrying out high-visibility patrols at schools after an incident in nearby Durham, where a man dressed as a clown and carrying a knife followed four children, aged 11 and 12, to school on Friday. The children were left distressed but unhurt, police said. |
| But Shaw said the craze had been “blown out of all proportion” and refused to stop selling the outfits from his three stores across Newcastle. | But Shaw said the craze had been “blown out of all proportion” and refused to stop selling the outfits from his three stores across Newcastle. |
| “We’re certainly not stopping selling costumes or anything like that. We’ve had the police in but they’ve never at any point said that and to be honest I don’t think they can say that – they can’t stop us,” he said. | “We’re certainly not stopping selling costumes or anything like that. We’ve had the police in but they’ve never at any point said that and to be honest I don’t think they can say that – they can’t stop us,” he said. |
| Shaw said police had visited the shop and told them to be cautious who they sell the outfits to. “We’ll try to be, but that’s ridiculous as well when you’re having to judge whether someone is responsible by their costume,” he said. | Shaw said police had visited the shop and told them to be cautious who they sell the outfits to. “We’ll try to be, but that’s ridiculous as well when you’re having to judge whether someone is responsible by their costume,” he said. |
| The Magic Box stores have sold out of £34.99 “scary clown” outfits for adults and children, which are advertised online, but has dozens of other clown-related masks and costumes in stock. | The Magic Box stores have sold out of £34.99 “scary clown” outfits for adults and children, which are advertised online, but has dozens of other clown-related masks and costumes in stock. |
| Shaw, a professional magician and former president of Newcastle Magic Circle, said sales of clown outfits had risen by 25% over the past fortnight. They have slowed over the past couple of days because of the police intervention, he added. | Shaw, a professional magician and former president of Newcastle Magic Circle, said sales of clown outfits had risen by 25% over the past fortnight. They have slowed over the past couple of days because of the police intervention, he added. |
| “It’s a joke that’s gone too far,” Shaw said. “I don’t think it’s got anything to do with what they’re wearing – it’s their actions. It’s just unfortunate that it’s a clown costume. | “It’s a joke that’s gone too far,” Shaw said. “I don’t think it’s got anything to do with what they’re wearing – it’s their actions. It’s just unfortunate that it’s a clown costume. |
| “Clowns have always been a popular Halloween costume anyway but because of this whole YouTube pranking thing they’ve been more popular this year than they ever have been. | “Clowns have always been a popular Halloween costume anyway but because of this whole YouTube pranking thing they’ve been more popular this year than they ever have been. |
| “They’d have to stop eBay selling them, they’d have to stop Amazon selling them and they certainly can’t do that. They also can’t really tell us what we can and can’t sell unless it’s illegal.” | “They’d have to stop eBay selling them, they’d have to stop Amazon selling them and they certainly can’t do that. They also can’t really tell us what we can and can’t sell unless it’s illegal.” |
| One 18-year-old, named locally as Connor Jones, from Caerphilly, Wales, is believed to be one of the first offenders to be hit with a criminal record over the stunts. He was issued with a fixed penalty notice and fined £90 for a public order offence after reports of a menacing figure on a pedestrian bridge outside a school. | One 18-year-old, named locally as Connor Jones, from Caerphilly, Wales, is believed to be one of the first offenders to be hit with a criminal record over the stunts. He was issued with a fixed penalty notice and fined £90 for a public order offence after reports of a menacing figure on a pedestrian bridge outside a school. |
| Meanwhile, the film studio behind an upcoming Stephen King movie, It, has been forced to deny it sparked the craze, which began within weeks of the first published images of the fictional killer clown Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgård, in the US. | Meanwhile, the film studio behind an upcoming Stephen King movie, It, has been forced to deny it sparked the craze, which began within weeks of the first published images of the fictional killer clown Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgård, in the US. |
| Baird said most of the “clowns” in Northumbria were children under 16, including one who was cautioned for possessing a knife. Police officers in Northumbria are visiting schools to ask children not to dress as clowns in an attempt to stem the craze and also to provide high-visibility patrols. | Baird said most of the “clowns” in Northumbria were children under 16, including one who was cautioned for possessing a knife. Police officers in Northumbria are visiting schools to ask children not to dress as clowns in an attempt to stem the craze and also to provide high-visibility patrols. |
| She added: “This is not an outbreak of major crime but I assure residents that Northumbria police are taking it seriously. If anyone was planning to dress as a clown – don’t. If anyone does so and causes alarm and distress it is a criminal offence under the public order act. Halloween is not a justification for this behaviour.” | She added: “This is not an outbreak of major crime but I assure residents that Northumbria police are taking it seriously. If anyone was planning to dress as a clown – don’t. If anyone does so and causes alarm and distress it is a criminal offence under the public order act. Halloween is not a justification for this behaviour.” |
| Dandy Events, a fancy dress shop in Newcastle, is also understood to have been visited by officers. But Gemma Forrest, from the Dr Funkenstein fancy dress shop in Sunderland city centre, said police had not visited and that she had not seen an increase in sales of clown costumes. | Dandy Events, a fancy dress shop in Newcastle, is also understood to have been visited by officers. But Gemma Forrest, from the Dr Funkenstein fancy dress shop in Sunderland city centre, said police had not visited and that she had not seen an increase in sales of clown costumes. |
| “We sell some clown masks but not scary ones,” she said, adding that their last remaining clown mask appeared to no longer be on the shop floor. “They’re probably buying them on the internet, to be honest.” | “We sell some clown masks but not scary ones,” she said, adding that their last remaining clown mask appeared to no longer be on the shop floor. “They’re probably buying them on the internet, to be honest.” |
| McDonald’s said its mascot, Ronald McDonald, was keeping a low profile as reports of creepy clown sightings sweep communities. The fast food giant told US media that it was being “thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald’s participation in community events as a result of the current climate around clown sightings in communities”. McDonald’s in the UK did not comment. | McDonald’s said its mascot, Ronald McDonald, was keeping a low profile as reports of creepy clown sightings sweep communities. The fast food giant told US media that it was being “thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald’s participation in community events as a result of the current climate around clown sightings in communities”. McDonald’s in the UK did not comment. |