‘Killer clown’ calls on residents of terrified town to take part in his creepy games

Halloween is rapidly approaching and in one sleepy Scottish village, a certain clown is intent on making sure no one sleeps soundly. This creepy trickster, who has been stalking the streets of Skelmorlie in North Ayrshire, made headlines in mid-October when it issued a message to the media and police.

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In these modern times, the clown has - of course - a Facebook page where it posts terrifying images of itself looking just like the clown from the infamous horror novel It. In case you’ve never put yourself through the book or film, the clown in question is called Pennywise and stalks the streets of Derry in Maine - where he murders children every 27 years. The costume is impressive, and even includes the red balloon clutched between gloved fingers. So, what is going on with this clown, and why is it asking people to join in its games?

The message to the media and the police

The clown’s Facebook page is set up under the name Cole Deimos - which is a reference to the ancient Greek god Deimos. God of what, you ask? Well, fear and terror of course! For those you have forgotten, this clown trend started seven years ago. Clowns started popping up not only on social media but also in towns in the UK and US to chase locals as a terrifying prank. Cole Deimos’s page jovially states that he ‘studied at Clown School’ and ‘lives’ in the small village.

In response to reports that the clown was terrorising locals, it took to social media with a message. In a rhyming video, it said:

Well, well, well, I've made the news again.

Should I smile for the cameras with my 'hideous' grin?

A clown that has been stalking the streets of a Scottish village is back and has a "message for the nation"
👇 https://t.co/tXvBerLmlx
— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 24, 2023

It turns out, the clown first appeared in the village in 2021 and - happily - is not out for blood. Some residents reportedly even know who has decided to adopt this identity, but no one has outed them yet. The message went on, ridiculing journalists who have painted this clown as a threat:

They called me 'killer clown'. Why don't you leave the jokes to me. The only thing that's dying is your credibility.

This clown doesn't want fame, glory or gold.

He just wants to play in this so-called 'sleepy town'. So, come and join in and learn to fear the Skelmorlie clown.

The clown’s spooky treasure hunt

The clown is clearly getting into the spooky season spirit. It recently left boxed clues attached to balloons around Skelmorlie, encouraging villagers to solve its riddles and find the… treasure?

The locals were game and teamed up to find all the little red packages and solve the puzzles which eventually led them to the village’s community garden.

Speaking to Sky News, the clown explained what the final clue unveiled:

Hello again, Jen, that's correct, yes. They solved my riddle with just 10 hours left.

The clue led them on to a popular place, in the heart of the village where I hide in the day.

They then had to hunt for a thing with a lock. After a third hunting party, they found a black box.

After all their hard work, they opened it up and gasped - to be met with their own face staring back.

The final black box contained a mirror, leaving the hunters staring at a reflection of themselves with the word ‘clown’ scrawled in red underneath. Creepy.

Isy Agnew was one of the hunters, having found a red box that held a key outside of her door on Friday 13th October. It turns out the key opened the final locked box with the mirror inside. She loved the game, as did many others: she said the Facebook page was ‘buzzing’: