Worried about creepy clowns? There's an app for that

The social media-fuelled phenomenon of creepy clowns has inspired a group of Montreal students to invent an app entirely devoted to sightings of clowns.

The frenzy dates back to early August when reports of creepyclown sightings first started in several U.S. states before becoming popular in Canada.

• Clowns at Montreal festival defend their craft amid creepy clown sightings
• Creepy clown sightings set off hysteria across North America

Some are harmless encountersbut there have also been more serious reports, like inGatineau, where a group of teenagers dressed up as clowns chased a group of kids home from the park.

That's where Clown Spotter, a new app available for Android and Apple smartphones, comes in.

"We as a team said we have to do something about it," Saleem Usama, a John Abbott College student and developer of the app, told CBC Montreal's Homerun.

Clown Spotter allows Montrealers to both reportclown sightings and keep up to date on recent glimpses of clownsin and around the city.

"There is a demand for it," Usama said. "It's a really serious thing that's happening."

All users have to do is open the app and a map of the city will show up with locators of recent clown sightings.

It also extends to the U.S., so users can see where clowns have been popping up.

Usama said the appwill be especially useful once Halloween arrives so that parents and childrencan avoid creepy clowns.

"To usit might be funny," he said.

"To all the parents who have their kids going out trick or treating for example, it can be a really big threat."