There have been bizarre scenes at Penn State University after a rumour of a clown being spotted on campus prompted a mass clown hunt.

Last night rumours of a clown being spotted on campus caused thousands of students to mob the streets. According to reports from students on campus, the students were either trying to run away from the clown or hunt it down.

This is despite the fact that the police reported that there were in fact no clowns on campus at all.

3 Clowns spotted at PSU allegedly. So naturally 6,000 kids mob the streets to hunt it down. I love Penn State pic.twitter.com/P4xYx0nVhs

— Addison Carson (@AddiCarson) October 4, 2016

The police say there are no clowns. 2016 has been...a year. pic.twitter.com/aICaxzQYih

— Onward State (@OnwardState) October 4, 2016

At least a thousand continue to gather at Pollock Halls despite police officers reporting of no clowns on campus pic.twitter.com/nGUBD8vyGo

— The Daily Collegian (@DailyCollegian) October 4, 2016

Videos from campus showed thousands of students running down the streets and heavy police presence as the students went on a good old-fashioned clown hunt.

Clowns at penn state wtf pic.twitter.com/wYBjXQ0H8Q

— Alex Gaydos (@Alex_Gaydos) October 4, 2016

CLOWNS have caused riots and clown hunting at penn state this is the end pic.twitter.com/5rmRVTBLgT

— Emma Karpinski (@Emmakarpinskiii) October 4, 2016

Team South and Pollock Halls are ready for the Penn State clown hunt. pic.twitter.com/DZvWQzlZDq

— RISE Magazine (@undergroundRISE) October 4, 2016

After a lot of searching, the students weren't able to find the rumoured clown at all, prompting many people, including the police, to conclude that there wasn't a clown on campus at all.

Penn State Clown Riot pic.twitter.com/B2zwq1RzRs

— Clown Sightings (@ClownsSightings) October 4, 2016

Bizarrely, this isn't the first time rumours of a clown on campus has caused panic at universities this year. Clowns were also reported at Merrimack College last night, and at the University of Dayton on the 2nd of October.

NEW: #Merrimack College tells us NO confirmed sighting of any clown. NOT using word "lockdown." They evacuated one dorm to look. #WBZ

— David Wade (@davidwade) October 4, 2016

Stephen King weighed in to calm everyone down, telling everyone that not all clowns are bad.

Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria--most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 3, 2016

But since then, videos have been popping up on Twitter of clowns all over the country, just to stir things up a bit.

Clown Sighting in California #Knife pic.twitter.com/FoX9BhG4Q7

— Clown Watch (@ClownWatching) October 4, 2016

Downtown Nashville, Tennessee pic.twitter.com/RWE6VxJwsW

— Clown Watch (@ClownWatching) October 4, 2016