Police were called to a school after boys wearing clown masks were seen repeatedly hitting a fence nearby.

Officers attended Thamesview School in Thong Lane, Gravesend, at 1.20pm, but the boys, who were skipping school, had already left the scene by the time they had arrived.

The officers remained at the school for much of the afternoon.

Shortly before 2.40pm, a statement was posted on the Facebook page of another Gravesend school about a clown sighting, this time Tymberwood Academy in Cerne Road.

It reads: "We want to make you aware of an incident in the Kenia Walk / Doria Drive area at lunchtime today, which is alongside our school grounds.

"Some of our pupils, playing on the lower part of the KS2 playground, may have witnessed some older local children, wearing Halloween clown masks, running along the alleyway and acting inappropriately.

"Staff responded immediately by directing pupils away from that area of the playground to prevent them seeing any further misconduct. I want to stress that this was outside the locked school gates. Senior Leaders have been around to every class to explain and reassure.

"In case of any anxieties tonight, please could you reassure your children that all appropriate action was taken and the situation was dealt with effectively to ensure pupils’ safety and that we are currently in communications with the local police who are also taking the matter very seriously.

"We thank you for working with us and for your continued cooperation. We would like to reiterate that all pupils are safe and well!"

A Kent County Council spokesman said: “Two boys, who are pupils at Thamesview School, were not in school today but entered the school grounds wearing clown masks.

“Head teacher Harry Ingham moved all pupils inside the school building as a precautionary measure but the two pupils in the masks were soon identified and are now being dealt with in line with the school’s procedures.

“The incident was resolved quickly.”

It was this time last year that the UK fell victim to an American trend in which people dressed as clowns and terrorised members of the public.

Some feared that killer clown Pennywise from the recent release of horror film It, based on Stephen King's novel, could spark the craze's return.