AN eight-year-old Penrhyndeudraeth boy has become the latest victim of a creepy clown craze sweeping the nation.

Owen Whiteley was playing with his friends at the skate park in his village when he spotted the frightening figure staring at him over the wall on Sunday afternoon.

His mother, Nerys Whiteley, said her son did not tell her he had spotted the clown until later on that evening, as he had been left terrified by the incident.

She said: “Owen had just been playing with his friends in the park as he normally would do when he spotted this man dressed up as a clown staring at them.

“He told me he didn’t tell his friends as he was worried if he had they would have sped off on their bikes and he wouldn’t have been able to keep up on his scooter.

“He remembers this figure wearing a mask with a red wig, and a white, yellow and blue outfit staring at them from over the wall."

• Police have warned people against wearing clown masks to scare people following other unconfirmed report of incidents in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

A spokesperson for North Wales Police said: “We are urging those responsible not to do it. Don’t give these idiots publicity by sharing photos on social media.

“Let us know who they area if you known them - we’ll have a word.”

Read the full story in this week’s north editions of the Cambrian News, in shops now, or available by clicking the digital editions link above