'Scary clown' craze hits Spanish city (STA BREAKING NEWS and ARCHIVES)

by Theresa , Thursday, October 30, 2014, 14:11

A 'scary clown' craze that has caused panic across France in recent weeks has arrived in the northern Spanish city of Gijón, local media are reporting.

With coulrophobia, or fear of clowns, sweeping across France, vigilantes have taken to the streets to try and stop the pranksters.

After Facebook reports that one aggressive clown was threatening people in the centre of the eastern town of Mulhouse, five youths took it up themselves to hunt down the joker. Armed themselves with baseball bats, knuckle dusters, a hammer and a canister of tear gas, they went in search for the fake clowns, intent on meting out their own form of punishment, but police thwarted their attempts.

Police in France have now warned they will not tolerate violence — either from people dressed as clown or from vigilantes.

http://www.thelocal.es/20141030/scary-clown-panic-hits-spanish-town-gijon-spain