The nocturnal sighting of a mysterious clown prowling the streets of the city of Northampton, about 67 miles north of London, since Sept. 13 has sparked curiosity and fear among its residents as they are yet to figure out the motive behind the clown’s frequent appearances, reports said.

Widely dubbed the Northampton Clown, the man, or woman, wears full makeup and costume and walks around town at night holding balloons, and sometimes a stuffed teddy bear. A person claiming to be the Northampton Clown has set up a Facebook account called “Spot Northampton’s Clown,” and it has already garnered over 122,000 likes.

“I don't terrorise people I just want to be spotted,” the clown wrote on his/her Facebook page attempting to squash rumors that he/she knocked on people’s doors asking to paint window sills.

"Too much hate not enough love," the clown wrote on Facebook. "No, I don't have a knife on me!, thats just stupid rumors spread by stupid people. I'm also 'not' on Twitter as it confuses the heck out of me."

The identity of the clown is still a mystery, but according to various reports, it appears to be a prank of some sort, as Boris, the Northampton Clown Catcher, has also surfaced on Facebook and vowed to catch the elusive clown.

“My name is Boris. I am the official clown catcher,” he wrote on his official Facebook page. “I am not here to scare anyone. I am not here to hurt anyone. I come in peace!”

However, the appearance of Boris seems to have sent the Northampton Clown into hiding, as a recent Facebook post from the clown said that he is “going to lay low for a bit.”

According to the Examiner, the creepy presence of the clown, which has caused a bit of concern for citizens, has prompted law enforcement officials to issue a warning, as this is not the first time the fear of clowns has gripped a city.

In the U.S., the 1980s and 1990s saw many instances where child abductors dressed up as clowns and terrorized many towns across the nation.

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