World-famous clown Ronald McDonald was accidentally arrested this weekend after members of the public reported him for joining in with the sinister ‘Killer Clown’ craze, it’s been revealed.

The mix-up also saw the innocent man beaten to within an inch of his life by a vigilante group, before being hauled to a police station where he faced hours of questioning. Officers were misinformed, believing him to be joining in with the latest viral internet trend.

The unusual practice, popularised in America, involves dressing up like a demonic clown for the purposes of scaring the public, with children being the primary target. Police have reported a huge rise in reports, with some dedicating teams to help stop the practical jokers.

Speaking from outside the station this afternoon, PC Oliver Briggs said: “We had reports of a man dressed in a full clown suit making kids cry outside a popular fast food takeaway. We immediately suspected the Killer Clown craze. By the time we arrived he’d already been forcibly removed from the restaurant and beaten to a pulp by a group of vigilante parents.”

“We even managed to get in a couple of kicks while he was lying on the floor defenceless too. It’s not just kids who like to pick up trends from America you know, the police do too”.