No laughing matter as clown terror spreads in France

PARIS // A wave of panic sparked by evil clowns stalking French towns has spread to the south of France where police on Saturday night arrested 14 teenagers dressed as the pranksters, carrying pistols, knives and baseball bats.

A police source said the group of teens were arrested in the parking lot of a high school in the port town of Agde, as several other complaints poured in over “armed clowns” in the region over the weekend.

In the Mediterranean city of Montpellier a man disguised as a clown was arrested after beating up a pedestrian with an iron bar, while three motorists in different towns complained about “scary clowns” threatening them.

The phenomenon of dressing up as an evil clown and terrifying passers-by – a trend that has also been seen in the United States and Britain – cropped up in the north of France in early October.

In the northern French town of Bethune, a fake clown last week received a six-month suspended jail term Monday for threatening passers-by while in full circus garb.

Whether brandishing a rubber chicken at a children’s party or starring as the evil protagonist in a horror film, clowns have long had both the ability to both entertain and terrify.

Infamous creepy clowns include notorious American serial killer and rapist John Wayne Gacy – who would dress up as Pogo the clown – to the fictitious Pennywise in Stephen King’s movie “It”.

The fear of clowns is known as coulrophobia.

* Agence France-Press