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These clowns are no laughing matter.
A rise in clown-related crimes is sweeping parts of northwest England with disturbing reports of people being chased by the painted suspects and even following children to school.
Among the most hair-raising reports out of Greater Manchester over the last year include a teenaged boy's claim that a clown holding balloons tried to grab him in Rochdale.
The scene, easily comparable to the Stephen King horror film, "It," is just one of 19 clown-related crimes handled by police last year, the Manchester Evening News reported.
TheGebster via YouTube
The clowns bear an eerie resemblance to the clown character in the horror novel turned movie, 'It,' pictured. In one report a teen told police a clown carrying balloons tried to grab him.
In November a clown armed with a knife reportedly stole someone's bike in Stockport, where there were also reports of a man dressed like a clown following children to school.
That same month multiple reports of a clown walking around with a baseball bat led to numerous police calls by residents in Lancashire, The Mirror reported.
Then in Bury, there were two reports of a man dressed as a clown peeking into people's homes. In one report, the clown was spotted clutching a bunch of balloons.
Police in Norfolk, meanwhile, worked to assure the public that no violent acts had been attributed to the individual.
Spot Northampton's Clown via Facebook
Last year police delt with 19 clown-related crimes last year, according to a local Manchester report. One photo of an invidual dressed as a clown is seen here after shared by the public online.
"Nobody has been assaulted and it appears that the people involved are waiting for a passerby to be startled by their appearance and run away, and then the clown runs after them for a short distance," Superintendant Carl Edwards told the BBC in November.
Edwards further stressed it not being illegal to dress in such a costume — even with some striking an eerie resemblance to King's red-headed character commonly known as Pennywise.
Other reports have fortunately been a bit more juvenile, including vandalism and one clown posing as a charity collector to scam victims out of money. That clown, identified as Colin Smith, was sentenced to 12 months of community service and 150 hours of unpaid work, Manchester Evening News reported.
Dave Tawney, European director of the World Clown Association, slammed the recent stunts as crass and harming his profession's reputation.
"The clowning profession can do without stupid people who don't understand the profession and appreciate that it is a performing art and not a spontaneous jolly jape," he told the Evening News.
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Clown-related crimes soar in parts of England: when clowns attack personally clowns make me nervous. and, people in santa suits. but this takes it to a whole new level. sorry england! i'm glad it's not happening in minneapolis.
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We all float down here Well C'mon Teletubby Teleport Us to MARS!! | |
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XxAxX...I've known a few women who have this same issue around clowns...and never understood why, I mean I could be guessing the reason why all day. . If you feel like it, you might wanna explain where this nervousness comes from, pinpoint the cause? If it's not too triggering or traumatising... x | |
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I'm not afraid of clowns, and if it wasn't for the seriousness in the matter, this would be laughable. All of that aside, those pics above are quite scary though. Stephen King's "IT" movie wasn't that scary, but this person going around in a clown outfit at night trying to snatch people, is indeed pretty scary. I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince. | |
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bad breath and fake smiles. my first clown encounter involved a clown with halitosis who exhaled into my face when he grinned at me up close. the contrast between that evil blast and the sunny day all around me made the world seem like he'd blown a bit of darkness into the blue sky. plus,when he got close enough i could see that his smile was only painted on. and in fact he was not smiling, but frowning. from a distance, all funny and nice, up close, stinky with a mean scowl. that might have affected me, back then | |
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Sure, understood. The mismatch, the contrast. . | |
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Actually this is scarier. | |
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with the santa suit guy, it was because he had freckles and everyone knows santa doesn't have freckles so who's lap was i sitting on???!!! i feel parents shouldn't lie about santa and the easter bunny and such. for a few short years while i was trusting back then, things were scarier because i was told that santa was one thing but then forced into the arms and lap of a stranger who didn't at all match what i'd been told. it was creepy because they were all in on it and telling me to believe it was actually santa claus.... freaky. not that freckles are bad. i actually like freckles. but not on santa | |
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Sure, Santa, The Easter Bunny...fiction and fantasy can become problematic for developing children trying to make sense of their world...they need guidance, explanation, reassurance and love. | |
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By St. Boogar and all the saints at the backside door of Purgatory! | |
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Why did I click on this thread? We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves. | |
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^ because you're planning a trip to England and don't know whether or not to pack your anti-clown spray? was that a rhetorical question? | |
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That picture of the clown standing on the corner is seriously creepy.  "We just let people talk & say whatever they want 2 say. 9 times out of 10, trust me, what's out there now, I wouldn't give nary one of these folks the time of day. That's why I don't say anything back, because there's so much that's wrong" - P, Dec '15 | |
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it really is. and i'm not sure what i'd actually do if a clown ever started following or chasing me. i like to think i'm an adult and would stand my ground bravely but maybe i'd cut and run, screaming like a virgin bride the entire way | |
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Whoooaa!!! We live in one of the areas reported
...In fact Mrs Steadwood changed her route to work because of these reports ...There are a lot of clowns where we live, you just have to wander into the centre to see em ...and some of em do walk around with baseball bats in certain areas of town ...but I haven't actually seen any of em dress up as a clown ...and as one police officer said in one of the reports "it isn't illegal to dress up as a clown"
Poirotwood They need to get their heads together and solve these cases of the phantom clowns
admittedly clowns can be mischievous
...Brother Redwood was having a quiet stroll after a hard day down the treacle mines [img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/steadwood/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-03/126112ff-9bac-4f5a-aac8-6605d73cc7e7_zps5fd5b4cc.jpg[/img:$uid]
...Cocowood appears and puts the willies up Brother Redwood [img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/steadwood/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-03/c139cce2-0497-4dfb-a7cf-4bda7e65ff66_zpsa7d8a52c.jpg[/img:$uid]
...See these reports are painting clowns in a bad light... especially the troll clowns Mookywood [img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/steadwood/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-03/a7fa6509-97a8-4841-ba86-381ed5207467_zps0d04c8cc.jpg[/img:$uid] cairoliwood [img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/steadwood/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-03/47bf7ec1-ba21-4ca0-b75d-478ea44dc85a_zps3dc9ece1.jpg[/img:$uid]
[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/steadwood/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-03/0bd435f0-1fea-4746-8bf2-1c29da7fe151_zpsce15259c.jpg[/img:$uid]
[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/steadwood/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-03/af1b2504-b3ff-4a70-b936-885c55b20d00_zpsc300932c.jpg[/img:$uid]
 I have a firm grip on reality...Maybe just not this reality   |
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ahem...
^ excellent! | |
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By St. Boogar and all the saints at the backside door of Purgatory! | |
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he has a troll doll for every occasion! | |
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JUST saying, be careful out there. the clown menace is spreading....
Creepy Staten Island clown spotted around borough, spooks residents
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, March 24, 2014, 7:02 PM
 realvinnocente via Instagram
The clown, resembling Pennywise from Stephen King’s book “It,” has been seen all over the island, including near the Richmond Valley train stop. Forget a zombie invasion — it’s a creepy clown who is the real threat to New York City. A yellow-clad jester with ruffled top and painted face has terrorized residents of Staten Island — day and night — while walking down the street, holding a bouquet of balloons and waving at petrified people. The borough’s version of Stephen King’s Pennywise character has freaked out social media users, like Robert Privitera, who snapped a pic of the creep roaming last week. “Guess who’s not sleeping tonight!” he tweeted alongside a picture of the character standing sketchily next to a concrete column. “Bro I did a double take,” he added, “my heart stopped.” The “It”-like character has been sighted several times all over the island, the Staten Island Advance reported, near the Grasmere and Richmond Valley train stations and along Richmond Ave. in Bulls Head. Another picture shows the bald-headed bozo creeping behind a tree, while he waves at a motorist from beside a street sign in yet another.  CreepyThings via YouTube Comedian Vic Dibitetto spotted the Staten Island clown March 17 while he drove down Richmond Ave. in Bulls Head."He was just kinda standing there waving like he is in the picture," Vincent Innocente told t...y evening. The clown sightings could be a ploy for a Staten Island film company, Fuzz on the Lens Productions. Michael Leavy, a director, actor and editor for the company, which produces horror films, posted one of the clown pics on his Instagram page. And Vic Dibitetto, a local comedian, posted of video after he saw the clown on Richmond Ave. in Bulls Head. Dibitetto has appeared in at least one of Fuzz on the Lens's films - and was hyping up the viral coverage on his Facebook page late Monday evening. 'AND THE HITS JUS KEEP COMING!!!!!" he posted around 9:30 p.m. "I'll be on Ch 4 11pm News tonight also....yep, u guessed it....an interview bout the Staten Island Clown!!!!!" Dibitetto posted his 30 second clip of the clown March 17 - one week after Leavy first posted a picture of the clown to his Instagram page. The two are also in a picture together, posted last month on the production company's Facebook page. Fuzz on the Lens Productions did not immediately return a Daily News request for comment. Last year, northwest England was plagued with disturbing reports — at least 19 — of people being chased by pranksters dressed in similar clown outfits.
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I think we're all sufficiently traumatised now. . I mean orange AND green balloons? That's just downight unbearable. . | |
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That sounds horrific. PTSD for life, horrific, that is. | |
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when clowns attack show 'em no mercy, for you shall receive none  | |
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kramer will never go there ..thats for sure | |
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