Schoolchildren were left "upset and frightened" after people in a white van wearing clown masks offered them lefts. A school has alerted parents and said any sightings of the van over the Easter holidays should be reported to the police.
In one incident reported to police, a child was asked if they wanted a ride. In another, a pupil on their way to school was left 'upset and frightened' by the occupants of a van who were wearing 'clown-like' masks.
St John Fisher Catholic College in Newcastle-under-Lyme sent a letter to parents warning them about the suspicious vehicle. It said it had been stopping students in the Wolstanton area, Stoke-on-Trent Live reports.
Headteacher Garrett Murray said: "We have been informed by the police that a number of reports have been received by them regarding a suspicious white van stopping a number of young people in the Wolstanton and wider area. In one report, a young person was asked if they wanted a ride and another report suggests that individuals in the van were wearing clown-like masks which upset and frightened a young person on their way to school.
"Local police will patrol around the location throughout the day. I am asking learners, parents and carers to be vigilant and to report any concerns to Staffordshire Police on 101 or via the Staffordshire Police website or Facebook page. Any descriptions or identifying markers such as vehicle registration plates would be extremely useful in helping the police with their enquiries."
The school said sightings should be reported to Staffordshire Police on 101 or via the force's social media channels.
