CUMBRIA - With the 'killer clown' craze sweeping Britain, police have warned people against donning clown costumes to intimidate or harm people, reported British daily the Telegraph.

In Cumbria, a man has seemingly taken justice enforcement into his own hands - by dressing as Batman and vowing to clamp down on the clowns.

On Facebook, the 'Batman' can be seen chasing off a clown in a photograph.

BBC Cumbria has reported that local company Cumbria Superheroes is masterminding this attempt to clear the streets of clowns.

The company have clarified that the costumed man is not an actual vigilante in the manner the caped superhero is in the movies. In fact, he is just trying to reassure local children spooked by the 'killer clowns'.

BBC Cumbria shared a screengrab of a message allegedly from a local child who was comforted after hearing 'Batman' had caught the clown.

It says: "Hi Batman, my name is xxx. I have been scared of this clown situation (school told us about it yesterday). I seen on my mammy fb that you caught the clown. This means I can go to school and not be scared, thank you for your efforts."

A police force in Britain had to contend with 14 clown-related incidents in 24 hours, while police forces across the country have signalled that incidents are rising.

Mr Nigel Adams, the Tory MP for Selby and Ainsty, told the Daily Telegraph: "Hollywood has taken a sinister turn with its interpretation of the clown in recent years and if this is in turn coming onto our streets, where people are dressing up to intimidate members of the public, then clearly this needs some thought."