Mansfield clown ‘is no laughing matter’

That’s the messsage from Tony Eldridge, the secretary of Clowns International, which represents the entertainers in Britain.

He said the so-called Mansfield Clown could alarm people and potentially damage the reputation of genuine working clowns.

‘’The fear of clowns - coulrophobia - is a real thing, some people will react very badly to this.

‘’This has nothing to do with clowning. It’s a small group of people with stupid views and it spoils the fun for everybody else.’’

He said most legitimate entertainers followed a code of conduct that included not wearing their costumes in public.

Photos of the Mansfield Clown in locations including Sutton, Kirkby and Mansfield were posted on social media sites in November

They follow images of the ‘Northampton Clown’ which appeared earlier in the year and prompted a number of copy-cat photos and media interest from around the globe.

Have you seen the Mansfield Clown? Let us know: [email protected]