A TEENAGE boy wearing a clown mask has been arrested on suspicion of carrying a knife in public.

Thames Valley Police said it caught the 14-year-old causing trouble in Abingdon on Monday and he was arrested in Northcourt Road.

He has now been bailed until December 1.

Thames Valley Police previous issued an alert saying it had arrested three youths wearing clown masks in Didcot, but has now said that was issued in error, and the only arrest was made in Abingdon.

It comes after a spate of menacing "killer clown" sightings earlier this month across the Thames Valley including one in Abingdon.

In a statement about the three arrests in Didcot the force said: "We are taking a proactive approach with high-visibility patrols especially over the Halloween period.

"While we do not want to stop young people having fun we need to make them think about the impact of their behaviour on others.

"Please be reassured that anyone caught acting in this manner will be dealt with robustly by the Thames Valley Police."

The worldwide craze for dressing in clown masks and acting in a threatening manner was sparked in the United States this summer.

It quickly spread to the UK and dozens of people were spotted across the country, including Oxfordshire.