Five robbers dressed as clowns stole $160,000 from security guards as they tried to load a cash machine with money in Mexico. Then they managed to escape by mixing up with other clowns and thousands of people in fancy dress by joining a near-by street carnival.

The clowns and guards exchanged gunfire in the robbery in Ciudad Carmen and one of the three guards was injured.

A police spokesman said: "They run away and joined a street carnival party where many people were disguised as clowns, so it was impossible to distinguish them."