A Swedish reality TV star has become an unwilling participant in the so-called 'creepy clown craze' popping up in several countries.
According to Swedish news site The Local, a man dressed as a clown tried to scare an 80-year-old woman who was out walking in rural Sweden. Instead, he startled her 24-year-old grandson.
Mattias Roos, a former contestant on Sweden's version of reality TV show "First Time Farmers", was given such a fright he instinctively punched the prankster in the face.
"He was trying to scare me and reflexes kicked in," Mr Roos told the site. "I didn't really understand what had happened. I've never really seen anything like that before."
"I'd never punch someone normally. But everyone reacts differently when their reflexes take hold."
Standing at nearly two meters tall, Mr Roos' punch caused the clown to fall over and flee the scene.
The website said Swedish police have received several calls of sinister-looking clowns recently, with at least one of them wielding a knife.
"I don't really understand the point," Mr Roos said. "I understand when someone pranks their friends, but scaring the general public is idiotic."
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