By Jack Smith
A bizarre home invasion in Woodvale has left home owners baffled after intruders flipped their furniture upside down.
Michael and Josie Randell returned home Saturday evening to find their house had been broken into but nothing had been stolen.
“We came home and nothing was taken but everything in the kitchen was turned upside down, absolutely everything,” said Mr Randell.
“Our jackets were on the back of the chair, the chair has been flipped and the jackets put back, it was very creepy,” he said.
The incident took place soon after reports of the Clown Purge beginning in Perth, but a link between the two events has not yet been confirmed.
The ‘Clown Purge’ social media craze began in America with people dressing up as horror clowns and scaring people in the streets and, over time, the craze gradually spread to Canada, Britain and Australia.
Sightings of people dressed as clowns in Perth have increased over the last week and cases of harassment and disorderly conduct have been reported in the Joondalup area.
“It’s possible there’s a link between the home invasion and the clown craze, we’ve had reports of clowns going up to houses and scaring residents,” said a representative for WA Police.
There have been 69 incidents reported to WA Police in relation to the ‘Clown Craze’ in the last two weeks.
Police have said they are now preparing to respond to threats aimed at high schools around Perth including Trinity College and Morley Senior High School.
“A Facebook group is encouraging members to disrupt high schools dressed as clowns in the upcoming week,” a police statement said.
Social media groups Perth Clown Purge and WA-Perth Clown Purge have been orchestrating pranks around Perth suburbs, including Woodvale and surrounding areas.
‘Perth Clown Purge’ was asked by The Bounce if it was involved with the home invasion in Woodvale but declined to comment.
Recent sightings of clowns in Perth’s northern suburbs can be seen here:
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