People taking part in the ‘creepy clown’ craze could land themselves in legal trouble, say police.

The trend, which sees people wearing menacing-looking clown costumes to deliberately intimidate others, spiked in reports across South Wales over the weekend.

One sighting, featuring a clown standing under a bridge and staring towards traffic, was reported to be in Abergavenny, according to social media sources.

Clowns have been reported lurking in public places, peering through windows and jumping out on people from tree heights.

Several other sightings have been reported in Monmouthshire as well as neighbouring Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Newport and Torfaen, as well as Cardiff.

A Facebook group - Clown Sightings UK - amassed 60,000 ‘likes’ in just two days, with various photo submissions of the intimidating figures from across the UK.

The eerie craze began in the United States early this year.

Police warned that anyone taking part in the craze could face criminal charges.

Paul Staniforth, Chief Inspector of Gwent Police, said, “We’ve now received 18 reports of people dressed up as clowns throughout Gwent.

“Some of the reports have included, clowns running through gardens and peering through windows, lurking around shopping centres, parks and schools and jumping from trees.

“Fortunately, to date, we’ve had no reports of anyone being harmed during these reports.

“The behaviour of these individuals has the potential to cause shock and panic and we are extremely concerned that this could result in somebody becoming seriously injured or unwell.

Mr Staniforth added that the clowns could be arrested and lumped with a criminal record for a variety of offences.

“They could then potentially  end up with a criminal record. In addition to this, if you are caught  carrying a weapon or an imitation weapon the consequences of your criminal actions will be a lot more serious,”

“Another serious issue that people taking part in this craze are not thinking of is the impact on our resources. Every call that comes in, is taking our officers away from people that need us most.

“My message is to those thinking about involving themselves in these sort of crimes is think about the impact on the children, the elderly, the public and the consequences of what you’re doing.”

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, said, “We want people to enjoy themselves and although the creepy clown craze may seem like harmless fun on the surface, it is quite frightening to those who experience it, especially for young children and older people who may feel vulnerable.

“We have heard how children have been understandably upset and distressed by some incidents. People need to think about the consequences of their action on others.

“This practice could be dangerous as calls from distressed residents can tie up resources which should be responding to more serious incidents.”