Parents 'hire evil clown to scare kids'

A man has launched an Evil Clown service as an interactive birthday treat for children.

Dominic Deville of Lucerne, Switzerland, can be hired by parents to stalk their children for a week, sending texts, setting traps and making prank phonecalls before splatting them in the face with a birthday cake, Metro reports.

Deville said: "The child feels more and more that it is being pursued. The clown's one and only aim is to smash a cake into the face of his victim, when they least expect it, during the course of seven days.

"The clown will never break into a residence or show up at work. It's all in fun and if, at any point, the kids get scared or their parents are concerned, we stop right there. But most kids absolutely love being scared senseless."

If the child can avoid being hit with the cake, they are given the dessert as a birthday present.

Stephen Vaughan of Clowns International said: "I think what Dominic is doing is a great idea. Bringing a little bit of life and laughter into kids' lives is what we are all about."