Ten-year-old Neva Shand lost her scooter when she fled in fright from a “creepy clown” prankster in an Inverness play park.
But the youngster has been all smiles again this week after receiving a replacement model from a kind-hearted member of the public.
The generous gift was bought by Aberdeen-based photographer Ali Campbell, who knows Neva and her mother, Natalie Jenkins, from their time spent competing at beauty pageants in the north-east.
He had heard about the sickening prank at a Merkinch play park on October 11, when two people – one wearing a clown mask – stepped out of a car and walked towards a group of children playing there.
Neva was on her scooter at the time and dropped it to start running, but when her 18-year-old sister and boyfriend later returned to retrieve the model, it was gone.
Days later, Mr Campbell got in touch with Neva’s mother to say he would like to replace it.
It arrived at their home on Monday and Miss Jenkins decided to keep it a surprise for her daughter, who came in from school that day to see a package waiting for her in the hallway.
Miss Jenkins said: “She was all excited, and when she realised what it was she was off ‘scootering’ around the house.
“She is still a little bit scared about going outside, but I think once Halloween is over it will be fine.
“It seems to have quietened down a bit round here with these pranksters as there seems to be a lot more police presence.”
In the days after the “creepy clown” prank, Neva was too petrified to go back outside and play with her friends. Miss Jenkins also said that her daughter was too scared to leave her side in the house, and even had to follow her into the kitchen while she poured a glass of milk.
Following the incident involving her daughter, Miss Jenkins was told that pranksters had been seen near Merkinch Primary School earlier that day.
Police in Inverness had previously responded to “a few” reports of people dressed as clowns frightening members of the public in other parts of the city, including Inshes, Milton of Leys and Culduthel.
The culprits are thought to have been mimicking a trend that started in the US.
