“We have answered over 40 questions on FB and a few dozen calls at our dispatch centre about clowns today. It's not the number of calls or messages that is concerning but the content of the messages,” they posted.

“'Can I shoot or take action against someone that is dressed up like a clown?' That's not a simple yes or no question. It has a lot of variables to it.

“We understand that clowns to some people are already 'creepy' and some people have a phobia of them, we see that.