Back in August this year, police in South Carolina received a series of reports about ‘creepy clowns’ trying to lure children into the woods. Although these reports were unsubstantiated, the story has sparked widespread fear. There have been dozens of clown sightings across the US, and now it seems this strange phenomenon has reached the UK.

Just this week, not 15 minutes from where I live, a man wearing a clown mask and a poncho covered in blood was spotted strolling down the street.

This prank has caused schools in the US to ban clown costumes and has seen children in the UK petrified after being chased by a man dressed as a clown brandishing a knife.

So what’s causing people to dress up and torment the public?

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We all know the creepy connotations associated with clowns. Despite these characters usually appearing at children’s birthday parties, Stephen King’s Pennywise (from the novel ‘It’), and of course the original killer clown John Wayne Gacy have created fear around brightly coloured clothes, over expressive make up and the idea that someone can hide their face and intentions behind a jolly costume.

This new craze shows no sign of stopping. Whether it’s a funny joke to scare people, or whether there is a more sinister reason for dressing up, police are monitoring all reports.

No one has been hurt, yet.

So what do you think is fueling this prank? Is it harmless? I want to know what you think.