An award-winning circus clown and his lederhosen-clad yodeller protege allegedly butchered his ex-girlfriend in front of her three children.

Hospital clown Kevin Leipere, 31, and apres-ski entertainer Dietwin Haegheman, 38, were arrested by Belgian police on suspicion of murder.

The body of the 47-year-old woman, named only as Caroline D, was found in the garage of her home in the town of Oudenburg, near the Belgian port city of Ostend.

Clown Kevin Leipere, 31, allegedly butchered his ex-girlfriend in front of her three children

He convinced his protege, lederhosen-clad yodeller Dietwin Haegheman, 38, to help him

Police found her children, aged 12, 15 and 17, tied up in the attic and said Leipere and Haeghemen forced the children to watch them butcher their mother.

Leipere, who cheered up sick children for a living, recently split up with Caroline D because he could not get on with her children.

The children's father, identified as Geert D N, described the scenes his children had to watch as 'too horrific' for words.

After the murder, Leipere and Haegheman alerted the authorities to confess to what they had done before going on the run, according to reports.

Leipere, who performs as Clown Tobi, was voted as the best clown in Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg in 2011 because of his 'indelible impression on the audience'

Leipere, who cheered up sick children for a living, recently split up with Caroline D because he could not get on with her children

Clown Tobi wrote on his own website: 'It is the cherry on the cake for our red nose. He will wear the title with pride'

Leipere drove to his nearby home town of Breedene, where he climbed onto the roof of a 13-storey block of flats, started firing a gun into the air, and threatened to jump.

He also threw debris and a gas bottle he found on the roof down onto the street below, but no one was injured.

After a lengthy standoff, in which Leipere was pinned down by snipers on adjacent rooftops, he eventually surrendered and was arrested.

Haegheman was arrested later that day in the town of Melle in the Belgian province of East Flanders.

Haegheman is professionally known as 'Dietwin de Jodelaar' (Dietwin the Yodeller) and is something of a minor celebrity in Belgium

Dressed in his trademark lederhosen and drinking beer, he performed yodelling and apres-ski acts across the country

Police believed Leipere convinced Haegheman to help him take revenge on Caroline D, and her children, as he was devastated by the end of their relationship.

She reportedly broke up with the clown, who performed for sick children in hospitals under the aliases of Clown Tobi or Doctor Aspirin, because her children disliked him.

He was voted as the best clown in Benelux - Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg - in 2011 because of his 'indelible impression on the audience' which 'raises a big smile'.

Leipere drove to his nearby home town of Breedene, where he climbed onto the roof of a 13-storey block of flats, started firing a gun into the air, and threatened to jump

He also threw debris and a gas bottle he found on the roof down onto the street below, but no one was injured

Clown Tobi wrote on his own website: 'It is the cherry on the cake for our red nose. He will wear the title with pride.'

Haegheman is professionally known as 'Dietwin de Jodelaar' (Dietwin the Yodeller) and is something of a minor celebrity in Belgium.

Dressed in his trademark lederhosen and drinking beer, he performed yodelling and apres-ski acts across the country. As well as being his friend, Leipere acted as his manager.