South Carolina: One clown showed up on a roadside in a rain poncho, another waved money at children near woods.

The reported sightings of silent, menacing clowns in north-eastern South Carolina may be part of a publicity stunt for a horror movie or an elaborate hoax, but they are no laughing matter for parents and police.

Over the past two weeks, residents have told authorities they have spotted clowns, or people who looked like clowns, on at least eight occasions.

Investigators have failed to confirm a single sighting and the descriptions have varied in detail. But police are nevertheless urging parents to be cautious.