POLICE IN SOUTH Carolina have increased patrols after several children reported someone dressed as a clown was trying to lure children into the woods.

The Associated Press reports that deputies in Greenville County, around 100km to the west of Charlotte, were called to an apartment building to respond to a report last night.

The call-out was around 20 minutes from where people reported seeing clowns last week.

CNN reported yesterday that children at the Fleetwood Manor apartments in Greenville said someone dressed as a clown was lurking behind basketball courts there last week, trying to lure children into the woods.

The apartment distributed a letter to residents to warn them of the reports.

“There has been several conversation [sic] and a lot of complaints to the office regarding a clown or a person dressed in clown clothing taking children or trying to lure children into the woods,” the letter said.

“At no time should a child be alone at night, or walking in the roads or wooded areas at night,” it continued – going on to advise parents to call the police of they see anything suspicious.

“I thought my child was seeing things,” resident Donna Arnold told Fox Carolina.

And then the next day I had about 30 kids come up to me and say, ‘Did you see the clown in the woods?’

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