PARENTS of youngsters donning their scariest clothing on Sunday to go 'Trick or Treating' for Halloween are being asked to be considerate of their neighbours by West Mercia Police.
The call has come from chief superintendent Paul Moxley ahead of a 'spooky Sunday' with the festival falling on Sunday.
He said that while that lots of people in the community will take part in the fun, there will be some who may not be able to answer their door and may be intimated by it.
He said: "Halloween can be a great time of year for many, in particular children and young people, and a great opportunity to dress up and go trick or treating.
"However, for some people Halloween behaviour can leave them feeling intimidated and distressed, or they simply don’t want to be visited by trick or treaters.
"We certainly don’t want to be killjoys, we know Halloween can be an exciting time for many people and don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun.
"All we ask is that if you do plan on trick or treating that you are mindful of others who may not want to get involved. Halloween trick or treaters can often leave some people feeling intimated or distressed.”
Chief superintendent Moxley added there will be an increased police presence throughout the evening during Halloween with officers carrying out high visibility patrols in key areas to ensure those who are out and about can enjoy Halloween safely.
He added: “If anyone does have any concerns while they are out trick or treating, whether it be anti-social or suspicious behaviour then I would encourage them to approach our uniformed officers on patrol, or report these online.
“Residents can also sign up to Neighbourhood Matters, which allows communities to raise concerns directly with their local policing team about anti-social behaviour and crime in their area.
“The service is free and those who sign up can choose to receive news and appeals, local crime information and crime prevention advice via a number of different channels.”
To print off a 'no Trick or Treaters' poster, head to https://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/west-mercia/news/2021/october/trick-or-treaters-urged-to-be-frightfully-thoughtful-of-others-this-halloween/
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