'Killer' clowns

I was walking round the pound shop today and they had a hideous collection of 'halloweeen' tat for sale.

I am not anti-Halloween. We always celebrated the day when I was young: bobbing for apples, playing Nelson's eye, telling ghost stories etc and guising too.

However the development of truly gruesome and violent masks/outfits has raised the event from a fairly harmless celebration of scaring away evil spirits/ remembering our dead ancestors to actually trying to emulate evil spirits!

A family, local to us, has regularly set up a 'spooky' tableau in their front garden, dressed up themselves (parents and teen kids) and local kiddies would go there 'trickle treating ' (as my DD1 used to say) However, due to local sightings of 'killer clowns' (police helicopters/ dogs etc. out wasting precious resurces) they have decided not to go ahead this year.

Clowns at the circus had me hysterical as a child and I must say that I've never found practical jokes remotely funny.

AIBU? I've never asked that before! ?

Wonder what my walking stick might do to one of these idiots. I hope I'd be too angry to be afraid. How dare they go around scaring little children.
Wish the police could confiscate the clown suit and mask and escort them home via the most public route. I feel as if the stocks would be a suitable punishment, genuinely surprised at the strength and irrationality of my own reactions.
Any responsible retailer should have taken their clown suits and masks off sale by now.

Apparently, Carole Middleton's Party Pieces website has Killer Clown outfits for sale.

No chance of anyone getting past the security men to terrify HER grandchildren

I think they're horrible. Frighten my small grandson when I'm with him and see what happens to you!

The whole Hallowe'en thing is yet another example of the American coarsening of our culture. These "clowns" are attention seekers who need a good whipping. Bring back the birch!

We have supposedly had sightings in our area and the village we live in. Apparently they are driving around around in Vauxhall Zafera a model of car we own. Some wag asked hubby and I if it was us, apparently the newspaper reported it as 'Two idiots driving around in a Vauxhall Zafera dressed as clowns".

On a serious note the kids are running with this story and children being children they are frightened.

I was watching Victoria Derbyshire program and there was a 'true clown' being interviewed and he made a rational point that this could seriously damage the industry and jobs, I think it might.

I couldn't help but think I would be in court for harming another person if one came up to me.

one has appeared at our local BLACKBURN Mcdonalds..the clown was dressed like Ronal and had blood spattering down his/her front peering through the window.If you google you will see.

I think there has been the first arrest made ( I'm sure I saw it on a news website). The young lad , who presumably will have a criminal record due to this 'prank' seemed puzzled as he said it was just a joke.

It's just not funny .

I think it should be treated very seriously - especially as there was a report that one of these "clowns" was wielding a chainsaw. It must be absolutely terrifying for anyone. Presumably it is a criminal offence - threatening behaviour?

Yes there's one hanging around my grandsons school. One little boy on his way to school saw one in a small play area near the school .He went and told his teacher and of course they called the police . it is really scary not only for small children who will have nightmares but the older ones and even some grown ups . My daughter feels too frightened to take her dog walking.

It does sound ridiculous when you say it out loud -scary clowns. But then I've never watched any of the gruesome horror films they have appeared in.

There does seem to be an element of hysteria about it . At my granddaughters Junior school there were girls crying in the playground and some girls going round to younger ones scaring them with silly stories.

My Grandaughter was very upset and despite a chat with Mum , I had to take her to karate this week as she was afraid to stay on her own ( with a group of 30 other people she knows well I hasten to add)!

I had a word with Sensei and during kumite practice( that's the fighting bit) she teamed our Grandaughter up with a much older boy. When she had firmly beaten him 3 times on the trot Sensei pointed out that scary clowns are unlikely to be purple belt Karate members so she was happy to put her money on our Grandaughter showing them her moves . It was enough to bring some sense to the situation and as it's unlikely our 9 year old Grandaughter is ever going to see a scary clown she now is confident he couldn't hurt her .

I think it's a ridiculous craze and if you hear of a knife welding clown getting run down by an old lady on a mobility scooter....that'll be me !

My 13 year old granddaughter although not a nervous type jumps very easily and is quite concerned about this clown business She says her friends are not going out trucking treating this year as they are all scared One is supposed to have appeared in a park they frequent although she wasn't there at the time but the rumours are enough to freak her out She doesn't like clowns much ( nor do I come to that) and it's the fact they are threatening people and carrying knives that is unsettling

A good kick!! in the nuggets!! if I had my way! if they tried to come near me or GC no matter who they are, or how old they are, if their coward enough to hide behind masks to frighten youngsters then they must face the consequences! (providing I could catch them off course)

It's come over from America (where else?) and yes, the real problem is that a lot of them are carrying kives, or weapons of some sort, so it's not just a case of them looking scary.

(Think the concept originates from the killer clown in Steven King's book IT)

Another case of copycat behaviour. I am all for freedom of information, but if their exploits had not been publicised is it not possible that fewer idiots would now be copying them?

I've been reading bits and pieces about this new trend, where did it come from? I believe some of these so called jokers have been brandishing knives scaring the hell out people. Completely unacceptable some young idiot got a paltry fine which he laughed off

These clowns are idiots. A swift clunk with a heavy granny handbag would sort them out.

I heard that fights broke out in a park not far away a week ago, involving 'clowns'. I believe that the police became involved. What a waste of police time.

The GD of a friend was frightened by one of these idiots jumping out at her, her father showed up just at that time and left the "clown" feeling very sorry for himself and unlikely to do it again!

One of the secondary schools in our town was targeted by these idiots this week . DGD (10) is passed herself with worry and fear that they will come to her school . Apparently it was mentioned in assembly by the head teacher this week that the school may remain closed after half term for one extra day ( Halloween) although nothing official from the school as yet.

Oh yes! I had an almost hysterical 11yr old granddaughter at the door just yesterday too scared to walk through the alleyway from where we live near her school to her home a mile away, I gave her a good talking to, its the older kids saying its been on the news that the clowns are in our area and waiting for you. So ridiculous, I explained its all nonsense and to ignore it but that won't stop her being scared I suspect. I hope all the hype dies down quickly and things quieten down again. I did walk her through the alleyway yesterday but not sure what I'll do if it happens again but she was very scared.

Yes, it's a weird thing isn't it? Hopefully it will fade away after Halloween. Haven't seen any evidence of it around here, but these teenage fads don't usually last long.