‘Killer Clowns’ In UK: Woman Goes Into Premature Labor After Teen Dressed As Clown Scares Her

An eight-month pregnant woman in the U.K. was forced into premature labor after a person dressed as a clown scared her, according to reports Monday. This is the latest sighting of the so-called “killer clowns” frightening people after the phenomena began in the U.S. around mid-August.

The latest incident occurred in Whitwick village of Leicestershire where a 17-year-old dressed as a clown jumped out in front of the pregnant woman, according to reports. The baby and the mother were reported to be in healthy condition. It remains unclear when exactly the incident took place but a friend of the victim took to Facebook on Saturday urging people dressed as clowns not to scare elderly people and pregnant women.

“It's a nonsense craze that needs stopping,” the post read.

On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) issued a statement saying that they are investigating reports of “killer clown” incidents in London.

“We are currently accessing a small number of reported ‘killer clown’ incidents in London, three of which meet the threshold of a criminal offence. Our primary responsibility is indentifying and investigating those incidents where a criminal offence has occurred. However, anti-social behavior can leave people feeling scared, anxious and intimidated and I would urge those who are causing fear and alarm to carefully consider the impact their actions have on others,” Commander Julian Bennett of the MPS said in the statement.

Bennett also urged people to act responsibly during Halloween and warned that those committing criminal offenses would be prosecuted.

People across England have reported several incidents of “creepy clowns” or “killer clowns” scaring people. Over the weekend, a 30-year-old man was arrested and warned in Norwich, East Anglia, after he wore the clown costume and chased a woman who was walking alone.

On Friday, a man dressed as a clown followed four children in County Durham in Northeast England. The man was also armed with what later turned out to be a plastic machete.

The bizarre phenomena began in the U.S. in August. Initial reports from South Carolina claimed that the costumed figures lured children into the woods. Following these reports, creepy or killer clown sightings have been reported in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

The clown trend has also spilled onto other countries such as Canada and Australia.