'Killer Clowns': Armed police hunt 'machete-wielding clown who threatened teenage girls' in Suffolk

Two teenager girls claim they were threatened by a man dressed as a clown who was carrying a machete
PA
Hatty Collier17 October 2016
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A man dressed as a clown wielding a machete was hunted by armed police after allegedly threatening two teenage girls.

The teenagers were approached by the knifeman dressed in a clown outfit in Bury St Edmunds on Saturday evening, police said.

He was seen with the weapon in Durham Close at around 6.25pm before telling the girls he was going to hurt them.

The pair ran off towards Severn Road and called police sparking a major search by firearms officers and the dog unit.

Officers scoured the streets, woodland and industrial estate for the offender, but nobody matching the description given was found, Suffolk Police said.

Police said the girls were not injured but were very upset and shaken by the incident.

It is the latest instance of the "killer clown" craze sweeping the UK which has led to a deluge of calls to Childline from youngsters left terrified by the sinister phenomenon.

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.

Kent Police saw 59 clown-related incidents between October 7 and 10, Thames Valley Police had 14 reports in 24 hours, and on Wednesday South Yorkshire Police said it had received 61 reports since September 21, 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, about five miles from Heathrow Airport.

Suffolk Police said anyone carrying out activities that may scare members of the public could be committing public order offences and may be subject to arrest.

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