A MUM whose son has been left terrified after coming face to face with ‘killer clowns’ in Devizes has warned pranksters to think again before jumping out on people.

Her 12-year-old son and friends ran fearing for their lives after they were confronted by the clowns in Rotherstone on Saturday night.

She said: “My son and his friends popped to his mate’s house to get some sleepover stuff after it had just got dark.

“There were three men dressed as clowns with baseball bats hanging around Rotherstone.

“The boys ran home in terrible shock. Luckily these clowns didn’t catch up with them.”

She said her son was still feeling unnerved by the experience of coming face-to-face with people who were copying the clown craze which started in America and involves people dressing up and carrying out sinister pranks.

She warned people to think of the consequences of their actions.

She said: “How would they feel if their own member of family was affected by this?

“These silly clowns with weapons need to think about how they could affect children and adults, and people with a heart condition or people who suffer from anxiety.

“Stop the silly acts and get a life.

“What do they get out out it? There is enough war going on around the world and suffering. It is so unnecessary.”

Wiltshire Police said it had received a report of the Saturday night incident but officers who went to the scene found no trace of anyone suspicious or any suspicious vehicles.

No other incidents have been reported in the town.

A police spokesman commenting on this and other cases in Wiltshire said: “You may have seen a number of reports in the local and national media over the past few days regarding the latest clown craze.

“This involves people dressing up as clowns and pulling pranks on members of the public.

“We would like to remind people intent on engaging in this type of behaviour that your actions can cause fear and anxiety to people which could lead to public order offences being committed. In turn, this could lead to a criminal record.

“Please think about your actions carefully.

“Any reports of offences committed will be fully investigated.”

Jobless Connor Jones, 18, became the first person to be prosecuted for causing alarm by being dressed as a ‘killer clown’ and was fined £90 on Tuesday after he scared children at a Welsh school.

Anyone who spots anything suspicious is asked to ring 101 or, in an emergency, call 999.