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| Clown craze prompts surge in calls to Childline | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The “scary clown” craze has led to a deluge of calls to Childline from frightened young people in the UK, the charity says. | The “scary clown” craze has led to a deluge of calls to Childline from frightened young people in the UK, the charity says. |
| In one week Childline was contacted 120 times by children scared by people dressed up in clown costumes to scare passersby. | In one week Childline was contacted 120 times by children scared by people dressed up in clown costumes to scare passersby. |
| Police have had to deal with a wave of incidents, and forces have warned that jokers or criminals using the costumes to deliberately scare people will face arrest. | Police have had to deal with a wave of incidents, and forces have warned that jokers or criminals using the costumes to deliberately scare people will face arrest. |
| A quarter of the calls to Childline about clowns came from children under 11, while more than a third were between 12 and 15. Most calls came from young people in Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham, the charity said. | A quarter of the calls to Childline about clowns came from children under 11, while more than a third were between 12 and 15. Most calls came from young people in Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham, the charity said. |
| The craze, which began in the US, has seen cases of clowns chasing children with weapons such as knives or baseball bats, in some instances targeting schools. | The craze, which began in the US, has seen cases of clowns chasing children with weapons such as knives or baseball bats, in some instances targeting schools. |
| A 10-year-old boy in Plymouth was threatened by a clown who jumped out of a bush carrying a hammer, while in Workington, Cumbria, a clown brandishing an axe chased an 11-year-old girl. | A 10-year-old boy in Plymouth was threatened by a clown who jumped out of a bush carrying a hammer, while in Workington, Cumbria, a clown brandishing an axe chased an 11-year-old girl. |
| Children have also been targeted online, with a case in which a 13-year-old boy was arrested and bailed for malicious communications after a girl the same age in Kendal received Instagram messages from someone posing as a clown threatening to cut her throat and rape her. | Children have also been targeted online, with a case in which a 13-year-old boy was arrested and bailed for malicious communications after a girl the same age in Kendal received Instagram messages from someone posing as a clown threatening to cut her throat and rape her. |
| With Halloween looming, John Cameron, head of Childline, urged people dressing up to act responsibly. | With Halloween looming, John Cameron, head of Childline, urged people dressing up to act responsibly. |
| “There is a worrying trend at the moment with some individuals, be they older children or adults, deliberately seeking to dress up in a way not to entertain but to behave in a very scary and threatening way,” he said. “That’s a conscious behaviour and should not be tolerated. Sometimes people don’t understand the impact that can have.” | “There is a worrying trend at the moment with some individuals, be they older children or adults, deliberately seeking to dress up in a way not to entertain but to behave in a very scary and threatening way,” he said. “That’s a conscious behaviour and should not be tolerated. Sometimes people don’t understand the impact that can have.” |
| Calling for parents to warn their children about the potential consequences of their actions, Cameron added: “We need to get parents to say to older children: ‘If you decide to dress up like that at Halloween, remember you have a responsibility when you’re running around the streets – to have fun but don’t be threatening and intimidating.’” | Calling for parents to warn their children about the potential consequences of their actions, Cameron added: “We need to get parents to say to older children: ‘If you decide to dress up like that at Halloween, remember you have a responsibility when you’re running around the streets – to have fun but don’t be threatening and intimidating.’” |
| The NSPCC urged worried children to talk to parents or teachers, to call police if they felt threatened in the street or to contact Childline on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk. | The NSPCC urged worried children to talk to parents or teachers, to call police if they felt threatened in the street or to contact Childline on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk. |
| It also advised them to block and report abusive messages from people posing as clowns on social media. | It also advised them to block and report abusive messages from people posing as clowns on social media. |
| The craze is causing consternation within the traditional clowning industry, with one clown production company cancelling an event at a children’s hospital over fears they might be confused with their more sinister counterparts. | The craze is causing consternation within the traditional clowning industry, with one clown production company cancelling an event at a children’s hospital over fears they might be confused with their more sinister counterparts. |
| Fancy dress shops have been asked not to sell clown costumes to anyone they think might be a prankster. | Fancy dress shops have been asked not to sell clown costumes to anyone they think might be a prankster. |
| There have been serious injuries, with the Mirror reporting that the kickboxer Simon Chinery, 28, had his fingers cut “to the bone” when he tried to disarm a knife-wielding clown. | There have been serious injuries, with the Mirror reporting that the kickboxer Simon Chinery, 28, had his fingers cut “to the bone” when he tried to disarm a knife-wielding clown. |
| Kent police recorded 59 clown-related incidents between 7 and 10 October, Thames Valley police had 14 reports in 24 hours at the weekend and on Wednesday South Yorkshire police said it had received 61 reports since 21 September, including two of clowns with knives. | Kent police recorded 59 clown-related incidents between 7 and 10 October, Thames Valley police had 14 reports in 24 hours at the weekend and on Wednesday South Yorkshire police said it had received 61 reports since 21 September, including two of clowns with knives. |
| Armed officers from Scotland Yard’s aviation unit also arrested a suspect wearing a clown mask and carrying a fake gun in Hillingdon, west London, on Tuesday. | Armed officers from Scotland Yard’s aviation unit also arrested a suspect wearing a clown mask and carrying a fake gun in Hillingdon, west London, on Tuesday. |