CHILLING Momo masks are being sold on eBay for just £40 after the social media craze left kids across the UK terrified.

The freaky-looking face is being marketed as "lifelike" and perfect for parties after parents revealed their children burst into tears and even tried to hurt themselves after being exposed to the avatar.

The creepy character was used on platforms including YouTube and Fortnite to issue challenges to kids – warning them they would be killed if they told anyone.

Police and schools issued warnings across the UK after reports of the Momo character being seen.

And the craze has gone even further with the masks now up for sale online.

The horror mask is listed on eBay, with the description adding: "The mask fits for all, good stretch, durable, shrink, very easy to carry.

"Lifelike shape and realistic lovely looking, Super Funny and Hilarious."

The full-face mask is "perfect for Halloween party, Gifts, Christmas, Costume Parties, Carnival, Easter, New Years Eve Party."

And buyers are also assured they will be able to see through the masks's mouth and nose hole.

It comes after a poll revealed three in ten children have been affected by the challenge.

Among them was a five-year-old girl who cut off her own hair after being "brainwashed" by the sick challenge.

The youngster was following Momo's instructions after it popped up in a YouTube video she was watching.

Is the Momo Challenge a hoax?

THE Momo Challenge is believed to have originated in South America.

The creepy face of a Japanese sculpture was hijacked and spread on WhatsApp – reportedly with instructions enticing children to perform a series of dangerous tasks including self-harm and suicide.

In recent days police and schools have issued warnings about the challenge arriving in the UK and a number of parents have said their children have been exposed to it.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom even told MPs the Government is "extremely concerned" about it.

But confusingly UK charities and internet experts have suggested the challenge is a hoax.

The Samaritans and the NSPCC said there is no confirmed evidence anyone has come to physical harm.

And YouTube claimed: "We have found no evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube."

While it appears the challenge itself may not have reached Britain, sick copycats have been traumatising children by splicing a ghoulish video of a bug-eyed girl into Peppa Pig cartoons and Fortnite gameplay footage.

Now, a raft of Brit parents have come forward revealing how their own kids have been left in tears after being targeted by Momo.

One mum said her son had even been told to put a knife to his neck in one of the sick challenges, while a six-year-old was warned "I'm going to kill you" while watching a kids' gaming channel.

The creepy character has also started popping up on social media platforms including YouTube, Fortnite and Minecraft – with even Peppa Pig episodes used as a vessel to terrify youngsters.

SAFETY NET: How to keep your child safe online

The Internet can be an amazing tool to help children learn and play.

But with the digital world changing all the time, how can you make sure your child is safe?

Set up parental controls

• Parental controls can be used to block upsetting or harmful content, control in-app purchases or manage how long your child spends online
• The filters can help control what time of day your child can go online, and to stop them from downloading apps they are too young for

Talk to your children

• Have regular conversations about what your child is doing online
• Explore sites and apps together
• Talk about what personal information they should share online
• Create a family agreement about what behaviour is appropriate when they are online

Do your research

• Check through websites your child will use through the Net Aware
• Change privacy settings and turning off location sharing

If you need help now, you can phone experts on the free NSPCC & O2 helpline 0808 800 5002

But sculptor Keisuke Aiso, 43, said children shouldn't be afraid of Momo – as he destroyed it after it started rotting.

The original work called Mother Bird was built in 2016 by the artist and exhibited at an alternative art gallery in the Japanese capital.

But after snaps of the bird woman were posted online it morphed into the challenge after sick individuals edited the face into children’s YouTube videos.

Using a computerised voice, the ghoulish character issues horrific threats to whoever has clicked on the video.

Aiso said that although he is upset about the pain he’s caused to children, he is glad his work has been seen over the globe.

He added: “I have mixed feels about the people who have done this.

“On one hand they have caused me nothing but trouble, but on the other hand as an artist I have a little sense of appreciation that my art piece has been seen across the world."

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He admits the sculpture, which features the head and naked torso of a traumatised woman, and a bird, is terrifying.

The artist was inspired by a Japanese ghost story about a lady who dies in childbirth and emerges as a bird woman to haunt the area where she died.

An eBay spokesman said it has asked its teams to remove the listing.

They added: "eBay does not allow the sale of items that cause offence or are illegal.

"We’ll always remove items that fit that description.

"The safety of our customers is our number one priority and our listings policy is designed to protect customers first and foremost.”

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