KILLER CLOWN WATCH: Teen stabbed by man in creepy costume in latest clown attack
A TEENAGER has been stabbed by a man dressed as a clown in the latest in a spree of attacks across the globe.
The 'killer clown' craze has spread across the globe
The teen was left with minor injuries after he stepping outside for a cigarette in Varberg, western Sweden.
The attack came two days after a women in the centre of the country was accosted by two people dressed as clowns who threatened to kill her.
The ‘killer clown’ craze has seen people across the globe dressing up in the terrifying costumes in a bid to strike fear into the public.
But police have been forced to toughen up and deal with mischief makers as costumes have grown more extreme – with more cases across the globe involving knives and other weapons being revealed by the day.
The teen was stabbed by a man in a clown mask - not pictured
Police spokesman Eulla Brehm said: "We do not know what prompted this.
“It was not a robbery, and I do not know if they had fought before.
“It's hard to say if this is something that has to do with the trend that has come from the US, but there was a clown mask on the site.”
But Sweden’s interior minister Anders Ygeman has urged the public to remain calm in the face of clown masked pranksters.
Brave woman chases 'KILLER CLOWN' out of her office
There have been sightings across the UK
Mr Ygeman said: “We don't want to see a situation where a person gets into real trouble because someone, perhaps half joking, puts on a clown mask.”
It comes after fancy dress shops in Britain were warned by police not to sell creepy clown costumes to suspected pranksters as the “killer clown” craze spreads across the UK.
Police forces across the country have warned that jokers trying to scare members of the public while dressed as clowns will be arrested.
Clown costumes have gotten more extreme has time has passed, incorporating weaponry
But now officers in Newcastle and Gateshead have turned to fancy dress shops to stem the problem at its source – telling them to refuse to sell the outfits to anyone they think may be using the costumes to spook people on the street.
Retailer Angels Fancy Dress said it had no plans to withdraw clown costumes despite seeing a "clear surge" in demand.
It said it was not its responsibility to "withdraw a technically inoffensive item in response to a fad".