'Creepy clown' craze spreads to Greater Manchester

'Creepy clown' craze spreads to Greater Manchester

The 'creepy clown' craze, in which pranksters dress as clowns and deliberately intimidate, scare and even threaten people, has spread to Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police received a number of reports of people dressed as clowns who have been causing fear and making threats over the weekend.

Assistant Chief Constable Catherine Hankinson, said: “We are aware of this menacing craze, which originated in the USA, and will take action against those who are causing this fear.

“There has been a lot of speculation on social media and I’m urging people to refrain from fuelling this craze and creating more distress.

“The safety of people is our upmost priority; we want people to feel safe going about their daily lives.

“The individuals who are getting involved in this may not realise just how frightening it is to be on the receiving end, especially for children. It shows a complete disregard for people’s wellbeing and will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester.

“It’s important to stress that no-one has been physically harmed and I want to reassure people that we take reports of this nature extremely seriously.

“If you witness an incident, or want to make a report, please contact police as soon as possible.”

To report an incident, people should contact 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, ring 999.