A teenager reported being threatened by a man dressed as a clown in Royston on Friday night.

Police responded to the call that a man in a clown mask had verbally threatened the victim in Burns Road at 11pm – it was also reported that the man had a knife, but this was later found not to be the case.

Following a search of the area, the man in the clown mask was not located.

Police issued a warning over the weekend in response to the clown craze, following five incidents in the county where people wear masks and frighten members of the public.

Chief Insp Gerry McDonald said: “Although the people dressing up as clowns may think they are taking part in some harmless fun, they should be mindful of the impact their actions may have on others and be aware that any behaviour that causes another person alarm or distress could lead to them being arrested under the Public Order Act 1986.

“We want people to enjoy themselves as we approach Halloween but not at the expense of others.

“It is also important that people use social media responsibly and do not post items that could further fuel this ‘craze’ and create unnecessary fear within the community.

“At this stage it is unclear whether some of these reports have been made by hoax callers.

“I’d like to remind the public that the constabulary will take robust action against anyone who makes hoax calls to the force as this can divert precious resources away from real emergencies.”

Anyone who witnesses any suspicious activity where people are dressed as clowns can report it to police via the non-emergency number 101.