A pupil posted this picture purportedly showing killer clowns at the school (Picture: Deadline News)

Five schools have been placed on lockdown following ‘threatening communications’ from a group of ‘killer clowns’.

A pupil at St Margaret’s Academy in Livingston, West Lothian, posted a picture on Snapchat purportedly showing clowns within the school’s grounds, with the caption ‘holy s**t no jokes’.

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The school is one of five in the Scottish region to be affected today – but police insist they have not received any reports.

Staff raised the alarm at St Margaret’s after the image emerged.


It appears to show three clowns walking in the distance, while locals have reported clowns running around with baseball bats and making threatening calls.

Police are in attendance at Bathgate Academy (Picture: Google Maps)

Officers were also said to be in attendance at the town’s Inveralmond Community High and nearby Bathgate Academy.



Jo Zumba posted: ‘What’s going on at St Margaret’s? I’ve just had a mail from my son saying there are killer clowns in the school, police everywhere and kids locked in classrooms.’

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Amanda Dickson shared a picture one pupil had shared on Snapchat and said: ‘It’s clowns. The kids are sharing on Snapchat. This is a disgrace!

‘I cannot believe people think it’s okay to scare kids like this. It’s just going to end up out of control as parents are rushing to the school in a panic.’

Lynsay Graham said: ‘Killer clowns at St Margaret’s. Police at school and kids are locked in classrooms. I feel physically sick.’

Officers were also at the scene at Inveralmond Community High (Picture: Google Maps)

Angela Stewart added: ‘I’ve been speaking to my daughter. Her last text were getting a little more frantic sounding and now they have been told to switch off their phones. The school also told me nothing is going on. I’m off up to collect her.’

Asked about the killer clowns claim, a spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: ‘We have not heard any reports of this.’

The force said in a statement: ‘Police Scotland is investigating after threatening communications were received at schools in the West Lothian and Forth Valley areas on Thursday, October 26th.

‘Local officers are currently following a positive line of inquiry in an effort to identify whoever is responsible.’