Carrick's 'Killer Clown' Turns Himself In

A mystery clown has turned himself in to police after an alarm was raised by parents in Co Antrim.

On Thursday, police issued an alert after they received reports of two men acting suspiciously near two secondary schools in the Carrickfergus area.

Shortly before 2pm, the two men were said to have approached the playground area, and one of the men was dressed in a clown's costume. He appeared to pose for a photograph with the playground as a backdrop.

The incident is just one of many the police said they had been made aware of.

Photographs have been appearing on social media websites of a clown and his balaclava-wearing sidekick.

Since the alarm was raised however, police have now said the mysterious clown has turned himself in.

In a post on the PSNI Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus Facebook page, a police spokesperson said: "I have personally spoken to the gentleman involved in this matter as he has kindly come forward to explain what was happening. He assures me that this was a prank and it was not his intention in any way to frightened the school pupils or cause distress.

"He fully appreciates the sensitivities of schools and photographs etc in the area of any school. He wishes to apologies to anyone he has caused distress to. He fully appreciates what the police had to do in these circumstances. I have updated the concerned parents."

The appeal by police caused a backlash on the social media site with many arguing that the authorities were coming down on fun.

However, the spokesperson added: "Fun is fun but frightening school pupils is another."

A post on the Carrick Killerclowns' Facebook page read: "Due to the mixed response to the school pictures they have been removed - this whole thing is supposed to be a laugh and some parents find this distasteful and unfunny."

The duo later posted a picture of them standing outside the police station in Carrickfergus.

(JP/CD)