Fast food giant ‘bans’ public appearances of Ronald McDonald after creepy clown crimes

APPEARANCES of Ronald McDonald have been scaled back after a rise in 'creepy clown' crimes.

The red-haired, face-painted figure for McDonald's who is associated with happy meals for children, is not going to be making so many visits to kids parties and stores while the recent spate of scary and violent sightings continues.

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A spokesman for McDonald's said on Tuesday the fast food chain was being “thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald's participation in community events.

And they confirmed to the it was due to a “current climate around clown sightings in communities.”

The company did not explain any further about Ronald McDonald's current appearance schedule or how it was set to change.

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The decision was made after a number of threats and pranks involving clowns in the UK and the US.

The trend began in America with unconfirmed reports a clown was attempting to lure children into the woods in South Carolina  in August.

This then escalated with people terrorizing others on social media dressed as the usually funny character.

Recently, authorities in Lancaster, in the US, warned that men wearing “ugly-looking clown” masks were scaring people armed with a kitchen knife and recording the reaction.

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Then Fairfield police Sgt. Jeff Osgood said a group calling its members the “ClownGanng” were threatening to kill and kidnap people at schools.

Last week police in Michigan announced “two morons dressed as clowns,” had been arrested.

The women were chasing younger females and frightening them.

Last week joggers in Newark were frightened by a knife wielding clown as they ran through woods.

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Meanwhile in the UK, Connor Jones became the first person to be fined and get a criminal record for dressing as a killer clown.

The 18-year-old terrified children at a school by dressing as a clown in a black and white jumpsuit with snarling scary mask and green hair.

Jones was arrested for breaching public order at the school - and fined ¿90 for his clown scare. Police were called after reports of a mystery man dressed in a clowns outfit "intimidating" children outside St Cenydd Comprehensive School in Caerphilly, South Wales.

Then Shaniece Price revealed she was menaced and followed into the pub by a scary clown. The character also stared at her in her car.

On Monday a terrifying video showed clowns armed with machetes threatening a mother and her children.

A criminologist has revealed why people act differently when they put on costumes such as a clown mask, as the 'killer clown' craze spreads.

The craze has got so out of control that popular circus, Zippos, has announced its shows will no longer feature clowns.

And it has become so frustrating for some, that they have formed Clown Hunter groups on Facebook to try and patrol the streets.

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