A MAN who claimed to have been viciously stabbed by a man dressed as a ‘killer clown’ made the whole thing up, police said.

Simon Chinery, 28, has been issued with a fixed penalty notice for wasting police time after he reported being wounded in a struggle with a ‘clown’ armed with a 10in knife in Haslingden Road, Blackburn, in the early hours of Sunday.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Mr Chinery, from Shadsworth, said he feared he had been left ‘disabled for life’ after the supposed clown’s knife slashed four ligaments in his right hand. However, police investigations established Mr Chinery’s story was made up and he was issued with a fine.

A Lancashire police spokesman, said: “After looking into this report we have established that the man was not attacked by a clown and had in fact injured his hand falling on broken glass.

“We are aware that widespread media coverage of this allegation may have been unsettling for local residents and we would like to reassure the public that no crime has taken place on this occasion.

“We have now issued a 28-year-old man from Blackburn with a penalty notice for wasting police time.

“We work extremely hard investigating serious crime and our time needs to remain focused on genuine incidents.”

Speaking earlier this week, Mr Chinery, who works as a joiner, said: “I have never been as petrified in my life.

He said he had got off a bus in Haslingden Road after returning from a night out in Darwen prior to the attack, near Starbucks.

“I was literally sick to my stomach. It was like something out of a horror movie.

“He didn’t have a mask on but his make-up looked scary.

“His eyes were piercing black. I just panicked.

“He held the knife towards me and I used my instinct and tried to push the knife away. I grabbed it and he pulled, I worked against the blade and my fingers exploded.

“There was blood everywhere.

“I was absolutely hysterical. People behaving like this need to stop. I have been having nightmares and the pain is unreal.”

He said he had got off a bus in Haslingden Road after returning from a night out in Darwen prior to the attack, near Starbucks. The dad-of-one declined to comment yesterday.