Mystery crop circle with Joker face appears in field near Stonehenge

A mystery crop circle has appeared just metres from Stonehenge with the giant design featuring a clown's face.

The huge crop formation is located in a field near Bush Barrow, just a few hundred yards from the iconic Neolithic stones in Wiltshire. Incredibly, the design depicts a clown with horns on it's head and features a scary-looking 'Joker' smile.

Expert Hugh Newman, who has been studying the phenomena for years, has never seen anything like it before. "It’s a new one for me,” Hugh revealed. "It’s different from the usual designs. Some think it's aliens, some think it's people who make them.

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"But crop circles are remarkable in their own way. They've been recorded for years going back centuries and nobody ever sees them being created.

"They have incredible geometric shapes and have been influencing culture for years. They are remarkable land art. They're like the Banksys of the fields.”

Crop circles appear usually overnight, often in fields of wheat and corn. There are many theories about their formation which include earth energies, gravitational forces and even extra-terrestrial origins.

The UK is a world hotspot for the mysterious formations, particularly in the south-west, with Wiltshire and Hampshire leading the way. Many enthusiasts believed they were caused by UFO landings, while some said magnetic shifts were behind the phenomenon. Others believe their origins come from ley lines – seams of spiritual energy that intersect sacred sites including Stonehenge.

Some scientists accepted hoaxers had created intricate circles, but said other simpler versions were formed by magnetic shifts. They claimed magnetic fields gave rise to a current which electrocuted the crops, forcing them to lie flat on the ground.

Monique Klinkenbergh, researcher and founder of the Crop Circle Visitor Centre & Exhibition, said in 2023: “There are obviously man-made ones out there. But if you listen to eyewitness accounts, the unexplained circles have one thing in common.

"They were formed in minutes, or seconds. There is definitely a mystery going on, but it’s very hard to label the source, whether it is extra-terrestrial, paranormal or just nature. Wiltshire is so famous for its sites of heritage, and I believe the crop circles are attracted to those places.”

The crop circle formed as thousands of people watched the sunrise over Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice, signifying the end of spring. Those who gathered for the spectacle on Saturday at the Neolithic monument braved a warm start to the morning as they marked the year’s longest day.

Solstice events at Stonehenge mark some of the rare occasions visitors are allowed close to the stones at the World Heritage site. English Heritage said around 25,000 people were at Stonehenge, with more than 400,000 views from around the world on the charity’s livestream of the sunrise, which was greeted by the traditional drumming, chanting and cheering.