Residents have said they were “scared half to death” after people in clown masks were spotted knocking on windows in Levenshulme on Sunday evening.
A viral TikTok shows an individual in a clown mask waving through a window before being chased by two police officers on Fairview Avenue at around 19:30.
But witnesses say the terrifying masked men turned out to be children, and police found them crying behind a bush.
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that no further action has been taken.
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Olivia Jones, who is a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, took the video.
“We weren't scared, it was just little kids trick or treating a bit early. Our neighbours were a bit divided between whether they were an actual threat or just kids thinking they were funny,” Jones, 19, told the Manchester Evening News .
But commenters were quick to point out how terrifying the experience could be for people who are phobic of clowns.
“Do you not realise some people have massive phobias of clowns? Glad you find it funny,” one user commented.
Another said: “No stop I’d actually start crying if I saw a clown out of my window.”
In a follow-up video, Jones showed the group WhatsApp group chat, where one neighbour said they were “scared s***less” after one masked child knocked on their window.
But after police found the children, Jones took to TikTok to say she felt “so bad for them”.
Another neighbour said: “What were they even doing. Poor loves, there’s nothing for the kids these days is there!”
Users also questioned the proportionality of the police response to the incident.
Jones told the M.E.N that as well as the police car evident in the video, there was another police car and van present.
She called the response “totally unnecessary”.
Another commenter said: “For me it was funny how the police went after him like he is such a high class criminal.”
A GMP spokesperson said: “I can confirm we were called to Fairview Avenue just after 7:30pm on Sunday 17 October in Manchester to reports of anti-social behaviour involving a group of young people wearing clown masks.
“Officers attended, and no further action was taken.”
