Halloween pranksters warned to play fair

Children traditionally use the period around Halloween and Bonfire Night to knock on doors and issue the challenge of “trick or treat?”, with the trick usually being an idle threat to cause mischief if no treat is given.

But now neighbourhood policing teams in northern Lincolnshire are distributing posters to households which do want to take part, urging Halloween callers “please don’t call here”.

Officers are also urging residents to use common sense when considering whether to call police due to the high volume of unnecessary calls over the period.

And while advising parents to know where their children are, leaflets are also being published giving advice to the trick or treaters themselves, telling them to stay in well-lit areas, not to talk to strangers, be accompanied by an adult, and only visit houses if they know the residents.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: “With the evenings getting darker and events such as Halloween and bonfire night coming up, householders may experience the seasonal problems associated with ‘trick or treat’ by young people which may be perceived as anti-social behaviour.

“The police urge householders to use common sense when considering phoning the police as certain days can cause a disproportionate amount of calls for service, many of which may not be necessary.

“We would urge parents to keep tabs on their children who are trick or treating and for older children who may be unsupervised to act sensibly and within the law.

“If residents do not want to be disturbed by trick or treaters, it is suggested that they place a sign in their window or on the door so it is clearly visible, and do not answer the door.”

The signs are available in police stations and schools.