Childline flooded with calls from kids scared of creepy clowns
Childline received over a hundred calls from worried kids this week, with a quarter of these coming from children under 11 years old.
Childline received over a hundred calls from worried kids this week, with a quarter of these coming from children under 11 years old.
Now, there's fears the clown craze will affect kids at school.
It’s as reports of schools being targeted in some areas.
In County Durham, four children were followed to school by knife-wielding clown.
Joe Waddle is from the Northern Region of the NUT and he says "hysteria" is spreading.
"The hysteria spreads and it's quite a difficult thing to get them to calm down and to focus back on learning.
"A sympathetic parent might well keep a child at home. I haven't heard any big reports of attendances dipping- but that is a possibility.
"Children, particularly primary school children, need to see it as being a safe, secure environment."
17-year-old Owen Russell was hit by a clown and needed stitches.
"It was very unexpected, he just came around the corner. As soon as he hit me with the stick, he just ran off.
"I used to think they were just having a laugh, but it's become serious, they could be trying to actually hurt you.
"I never thought they were out there to hurt people."
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “People getting dressed up as ‘creepy clowns’ and frightening children should take a long hard look at themselves.
"Clowns are meant to make children laugh but these people are abusing this idea and turning it into something twisted and warped.
"Increasing reports that these ‘clowns’ are not simply seeking to frighten children but using them to intimidate, commit crimes, abuse or bully are deeply worrying and this trend needs to be stamped out.
“Young people should stay well away from them.
"And if they do happen to see a ‘creepy clown’ out on the streets or lurking near their school they should immediately tell their parents or the nearest responsible adult and report it to the police where necessary.
“If a child is worried they should call Childline on 0800 1111 or get in touch via chidline.org.uk”