THE future of the clowning industry could be at risk if the recent “killer clown” craze puts children off costumed child entertainers, a clown has warned.

Pete Turner, known professionally as Peanut the Clown, was asked by a local council to “take the clown out” of his entertainment routine for a beer festival in West Yorkshire due to a spate of troublemakers dressing up as clowns.

“I haven’t lost any jobs yet through this but I’ve been asked to take the clown out of my act.

“I think the people doing these pranks are somewhere between having mental health issues and just pure bullying.

“My biggest concern is with children. The connection we’ve made between the clown’s make-up and the image of homicidal murder is a problem.”

Clowns’ union Equity has warned that “professional clowns feel that [the killer clown craze] could make children fearful of them and affect their work opportunities.”