Police issue warning after creepy 'Cat in the Hat' videos spark serial killer fears

Police have warned the public after sightings of a creepy ‘Cat in the Hat’ figure posed on people’s driveways have been shared on social media.

If you’ve been online in recent days, chances are you’ll have seen the eerie footage of ‘Cat in the Hat’ doing the rounds on social media.

The strange figure has reportedly been spotted lurking on people’s driveways, leaving residents more than a little unnerved by the unexpected visitor.

But now, police have issued a warning after the bizarre sightings started gaining traction online.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police in the UK told The Independent: "To confirm, we have not had any reports of a cat in a hat in Meadowhall, or anywhere else in South Yorkshire for that matter. We can also confirm no recent sightings of his associates Thing One and Thing Two.

"The cat is not out of the hat on this one... we don't have a new account or a new logo. Please don't believe everything you read on social media."

Officers further urged: "On a serious note, if you do see posts online providing policing updates and advice, please check that they are from an official policing account."

It turns out Dr Seuss' famous Cat isn’t actually parading the streets of South Yorkshire after all - the creepy sightings are, surprisingly, a creation of AI.

Many of the posts featuring the AI-generated scare have drawn comparisons to the infamous ‘killer clown’ craze that swept the internet in 2016.

While many have found the whole thing totally hilarious, the issue has also alarmed many, with the BBC reporting that teenagers in particular have chosen to stay inside on some occasions as a result.

The outlet reported that Skye, aged 16, said: "I was having a sleepover but everyone started watching Cat in the Hat videos. It was 3am. I wanted to go home.

"When I started walking down my friends' driveway, I got totally freaked out that the Cat in the Hat was going to jump out. I had to call my mum to pick me up."

But the creepy character 'sightings' were also reported across Ireland.

In response, the Wexford Police force posted on Facebook: “In an unusual turn of events, we are hearing a lot about an elusive Dr Seuss character doing the rounds online, apparently causing havoc in neighbourhoods and towns across the country.

"Fortunately, we can rule out the issue, which is essentially an AI prompt that places the character into images/videos of familiar places. To be clear, the Cat in the Hat was not in your driveway while you were out and he is not currently hiding out in Curracloe."