It's no laughing matter. Clown numbers are falling in the UK with numbers plummeting to the hundreds in recent years because the "cynical" public now views them as sinister, a club has warned.
It seems that clowns are faced with extinction in the UK, with only 100 or so remaining on the books of their professional organisation in Britain.
Circuses are less frequent across Britain and a desire for parents to try an alternative to the birthday jester have hit the clown industry hard.
The Telegraph reported that Clowns International, the country’s sole organisation for the performers, has seen its membership plummet from almost 1,000 in the 1980s to little over 100 in recent years.
Blue Brattle, a former chairman and honorary vice president of CI, who performs as Clown Bluey said there is an "image problem for clowns."
"It’s not cool to have a clown at a party. It used to be, but now it is all DJs, and paintball and themed-parties and so on.”
Perhaps people are less enthused by the costumed characters after Norfolk police recently warned of an alarming clown epidemic.