McDonald's limits appearances of Ronald McDonald amid 'creepy clown' hysteria

The phenomenon started in the US but has spread to other parts of the world

The company did not say how many appearances it was cutting (AP)

Ronald McDonald is not to everyone’s taste. Some people love him, others find him less than adorable.

Either way, amid an outbreak of quiet hysteria surrounding so-called creepy clowns, the fast food giant has announced that it is limiting its mascot’s public appearances.

With the craze fueled by social media, the scary clown craze has spread from the US to the UK, Australia and Brazil. The phenomenon, where people dress up in masks and scare members of the public, has received widespread attention with the help of social media.

McDonald’s did not say how many of its clown’s appearances would be cut.

“McDonald’s and franchisees in local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and as such are being thoughtful with respect to Ronald McDonald’s participation in community events for the time being,” the company said in a statement.

In August, locals in Greenville, South Carolina reported people dressed in fright wigs and full clown make-up trying to lure children into the woods.

Australian police also arrested a 19-year-old for scaring residents, according to the Associated Press.

A student dressed as a chainsaw-wielding clown was filmed chasing other students on a UK university campus. He has apologised saying he was “only chasing his friends”.

Police have increased patrols outside some schools, and asked fancy dress shops to remove clown masks from sale.